Love on High Seas 6: For The Greatest Treasure
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: The remaining Pirates band together for one last stand for that which matters most: love and family. 41 fandom crossover. Slash, het, femme slash. Look inside for fandoms, characters, and pairings.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Love on the High Seas #6: "For the Greatest Treasure"  
**Authors:** Pirates Sparrow and Turner  
**Rating:** R  
**Feedback:** Yes, please!! Seriously, we, like all other fan fic writers, thrive on feedback. However, flames absolutely will not be tolerated.  
**Warnings:** Abuse, Death, Nudity, Sex, Violence, Language, Slash, Femmeslash, Het, Incest, Animal Abuse  
**Fandoms/Characters/Pairings:** (Ace Ventura) Ace/Original Character (OC), Clyde; (Addams Family) Thing; (Aladdin) Jafar; (Angel) Angel/Cordelia, Wesley, Spike/OC, Lorne/OC, Connor/OC; (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Angel/Cordy, Spike/OC, Wesley, Faith/Dawson Leery, Giles; (Charmed) Cole/Piper, Prue/OC, Paige/Carl, Kit; (Chronicles of Narnia) Aslan; (Dawson's Creek) Dawson/Faith; (Disney) See various Disney fandoms; (Dr. Strange) Stephen Strange; (Elvira) Elvira/Wolf; (Excalibur) Nightcrawler/Shadowcat, Lockheed/OC, Phoenix/OC; (Generation X) Banshee/White Queen; (Harry Potter) Albus/Severus, Hagrid; (Hercules) Xena/Gabrielle, Autolycus/Joxer, Poseidon; (Hook) Hook/Smee, Tinkerbell/Tiger Lily; (Labyrinth) Jareth/OC, Didymus, Worm; (Little Mermaid) Sebastian; (Magnificent Seven) Chris/Vin, Buck/JD, Josiah/Nathan, Josiah/OC, Ezra; (Munsters) Grandpa; (Peter Pan) Hook/Smee, Tinkerbell/Tiger Lily; (Pirate Movie) Frederic/OC; (Pirates of the Caribbean) Jack/Will; (Princess & the Pauper) Wolfie; (ReBoot) Matrix/AndrAla, Ray/Mouse, Bob, Phong, Frisket; (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) Salem; (Shanghai Knights/Noon) Roy OC mixture/Chong OC mixture/Derek Starsky OC mixture; (Shrek) Donkey/OC, Puss OC; (Smallville) Clark/Lex; (Sons of Thunder) Trent/Carlos; (Special Unit 2) Carl/Paige; (Starsky & Hutch) Starsky OC mixture/Hutch OC mixture/Chon Chang OC mixture; (Supernatural) Dean/Sam, Bobby; (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Splinter, Leonardo, Michelangelo/Donatello, Raphael; (10th Kingdom) Wolf/Elvira, Cinderella; (Touched By An Angel) Andrew/OC; (X-Factor) Sabertooth/Mystique; (X-Force) Cable/Domino; (X-Men) Wolverine/Storm, Morph/OC, Bishop, Nightcrawler/Shadowcat, Professor X/Magneto, Joseph/Rogue, Banshee/White Queen, Sabertooth/Mystique; (X-Men: Evolution) Wolverine/Storm, Professor X/Magneto, Nightcrawler/Shadowcat, Sabertooth/Mystique; (Xena) Xena/Gabrielle, Joxer/Autolycus, Poseidon; (Zoolander) Derek OC mixture/Hansel OC mixture/Chon Chan OC mixture; and others who come and go

**Summary:** The remaining Pirates band together in to stand one final test in pursuit of the survival of that which matters the most: love and family.

**Disclaimer:** All established characters; all TV show, comic, and movie titles; and the Black Pearl are © & TM their respective owners and are used without permission. Crystal "Snowflake" Frost; Katrina "Firestar" Lewis; Celina "Pantheria" Lewis; Tom Ballard; Brendan Richards; Urianotalon; Janeesa; Tessa; Herbert; Robbie; Phillip; Daniel; and all other original characters are © & TM the authors, Pirates Sparrow and Turner, and may not be used without permission. The Sea Witch and everything else are also © & TM the authors and may not be used without permission. Meesy is © & TM himself, is used with permission, and may not be used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, and no monetary profit is made from these tales.

**Authors' Note:** We'd like to thank our readers, even though most of them have been very silent and have not said anything about our stories, but some have actually been kind enough to give us reviews and for those, such as Alex, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Peja, we give special thanks. This is our last book and is a lot shorter than the others, but we hope you will enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Let us know if you would like to see more done with this world. :-)

**Prologue**

**Somewhere**

Bouncing . . . The gentle rolling of the waves rocked. He slept deeply. Nightmares ran through his mind. He thought, perhaps, he had died and gone to Hell, yet the incessant rocking never ceased. He opened his eyes, but the darkness prevented him from seeing his surroundings. Hovering half way between sleep and awakening, Jack could barely figure out that he was in a place he'd never been before, yet it seemed familiar. He knew he was on a ship, bound for where he had no idea. All he knew was that it was not the Pearl, and he had no idea how he had come aboard.

He could hear snoring all around, and his hand reached out, groping to see who lay next to him. They were laying on the floor, and the first thing his hand encountered was a soft, very furry body. Jack stroked it and was rewarded with a purr, yet he still could not see anything. Suddenly, he saw two gleaming orbs, and they were staring straight at him. "What are you, Demon or animal?" he mumbled.

His tongue was swelled to the point that he could barely talk. He wondered how he could crave water as badly as his body seemed to, when he had drowned and there had been so much damn water he'd thought he would never be able to take another bath without thinking of drowning. The dying screams of his beloved and family and crew members echoed in his ears, causing his heart to pound out a fearful beat. Where was Will? Where was his family? Who had lived? Who had died? His sweet beloved Will . . . Was he . . . ? No, he couldn't be . . . He had lived, so Will had to have lived for life without Will wasn't worth living . . .

Lingering there half way in between awakening and dreaming, Jack was abruptly awakened when two high-pitched, squealing, feminine screams bolted him to an up-right sitting position. He didn't bump his head, so he thought he had plenty of room. First thing, have to find out where Will is. He did not try to get to his feet but crawled forward until he fell over something.

It turned out to be Will, and Jack nuzzled his ear. "Love, women are screaming."

"Women are always screaming," was Will's sleepy reply, prompting a smile from Jack.

Jack swayed, then panicked over what could be causing the screams, and finally fell forward and nestled into Will's side. Damn the women! His head felt as though it was going to explode! Let somebody else handle their problem!

He felt a claw nestle in the side of his head. He reached up and roughly pulled what he now knew was a cat away from his head. "Damn, Willow!" he moaned. He hoped Will would wake up. Maybe he'd know where they were? He could always see better than Jack could in the dark. Jack still had no clue what boat they were on or where they were headed, but he knew Will and he were alive and, for now, that was enough.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

**Somewhere**

Flashes of lightning was the only light the two slender females had to work by as they struggled to tie their vessel to the dock. The only populated land either had ever grown accustomed to was the island they had called their home away from home for such a short time before it had disappeared. The last they'd seen of it it had literally sunk away into nothingness, the churning, blood-filled ocean having drowned out every single grain of sand. Still, something did not feel right about this dock or the dark city it led to, and both women frequently glanced back at the foreboding place while working.

The brunette was again cursing the fragility of her human form when she thought she sensed something approaching. Her green eyes glanced swiftly up at the docking area and then further out to the city, but she could see nothing but a few buildings, barrels, and ships looming out in the distance.

The redhead followed her sister's gaze and finally broke the uncomfortable silence that hung between them as they both wondered and feared for their friends and those who were certainly more than friends to them. "We need to finish this and get back inside."

"What do you suppose happened?" the other woman questioned.

The redhead shook her head. "I don't know," she said with a shrug of her slender shoulders. "Nothing good . . . "

It was at that precise moment that an enormous shadow fell across the women. They looked up and up until their eyes came to rest on a gigantic mountain of a man who bore one of the ugliest faces they had ever seen and clutched a gun bigger than any they'd ever before witnessed. Anger rolled off of the man like thunder off of their father, and each shivered instinctively, feeling that he was more than able and ready to send them back to the ocean at any moment.

"Get . . . Get off," the redhead tried to tell him. "This is our territory!"

The big brute of a man glared down at them, the patch over one of his eye sockets giving him an even eerier and meaner look. "I'M COMING ABOARD, AND I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT MY SISTER!"

As he strode forward, the women stood and tried to fight him off, but he threw them aside as though they were seaweed and continued on. The redhead squealed first, her voice rising into a high crescendo, as she scurried to block the man from entering the vessel her newly adopted family had been granted sanctuary on. Tessa scrambled even more quickly to block the large man's entrance and joined her sister in screaming. Their voices rose as they hoped desperately to awaken some of their party and bring them to their aid even as the stranger's fury flared and he pointed his gun at Janeesa. "MOVE ASIDE, WOMAN, OR FALL WHERE YOU STAND! YOU'LL NOT STAND IN MY WAY OF GETTING TO RACHEL!"

**To Be Continued . . . **


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

**Somewhere**

Tessa's mind whirled, and her heart pounded a frantic rhythm in her chest. This monster of a man was after her beloved Rachel, and he claimed that she was his sister! She had only met one other of Rachel's family, but her dear heart's mother had looked like a normal human woman hardly able to defend herself and yet had nearly killed Rachel, herself, her sister, and several others! Indeed, it had taken her Father to put her out!

There was nothing normal about the monster whose ugly face loomed ahead of her, and he looked capable of bringing an entire city to its knees! Indeed, he was probably what had happened to this port of doom! She wailed at the top of her lungs, frantically screaming for help, and vowed that this beast would never lay a single finger on her Rachel! She ached for her tail and promised herself that, if things ever returned to normal, she would learn to fight in her human form so that she could protect her love whether it be on land or in the sea.

Two large, black forms surfaced in the churning water on either side of the plank. Sprays of water blasted upwards at the man, soaking him instantly, but he remained standing. The only sign of recognition he gave the attack was a growl out of the corner of his mouth. He stepped closer to the women, his metallic arm seeming to glow in the dark as lightning cut through the black sky above their heads. He shoved the mouth of his pistol into Tessa's face and snaked his other hand toward Janeesa's throat.

"Do it and die, stranger." The tight, masculine voice that sounded from just behind Janeesa was a much welcomed sound to both women's ears. The two muscular men glared at each other, each warning the other, with the furious expression in their blue eyes, to move one inch forward. Urianotalon took the dare, sliding up to where half of his body was just behind Janeesa's right side and the other leaned forward, extending a trident whose prongs gleamed dangerously in the light of the lightning.

Janeesa had not stopped trembling since the evil man's shadow had first loomed over them. She knew that her friends were trying their best to help, but despite their valiant efforts, they could not do much against this man as long as he was on land. She had never been gladder to hear some one's voice than she was when she heard Urian's voice. Now here was the man who would take care of this new stranger! She thought Urian could handle anything, but she didn't want him to get hurt.

After a second, the larger man withdrew his grasping hand from Janeesa. Urian quickly took that moment to pull the lady behind him and place himself between her and their enemy. The stranger's good eye looked directly into Urian's face. "Hand over my sister," his booming voice demanded, "and no one has to get hurt."

Janeesa whispered so that only his ears could hear, "Be careful, love. He lays one hand on you to the point of hurting you, I shall call Father again!" She wanted to tell her sister to back up some more and give Urian fighting room, but she really didn't want to leave his side even though she knew her presence would cause extra endangerment. She wanted to be there when Urian landed the first blow, and hopefully Urian would take him out with that blow!

"Never!" Tessa cried.

After the horrible nightmare they had just been through, there was no way that Janeesa was going to let the stranger take Rachel. She knew how much Rachel meant to Tessa, and she was ready to fight with everything in her should Urian fail. But how could he fail? she reasoned with herself. He couldn't! He was her golden Knight!

The man shoved his gun closer to Tessa, his finger upon the trigger. He was hit again by two large sprays of water but paid them no more heed than he had the first time. A dolphin bleeted as he rose next to one of the whales and used his tail fin to slap more water towards the enemy. Urian kept the strange weapon he had found next to him pointed at the man's heart and at the ready. "Only a coward would prey upon a woman, and even if you should take her, monster, you'll never be able to take us all."

The one-eyed man swung his pistol at Urian as he replied, "That's a chance I'm willing to take."

* * *

As Urian had ran to defend Janeesa and Tessa, many others had also been coming around. The next to move was a small figure whose one eye blinked as it roved the enormous ship in search of a weapon and a ride. He found a lance mere yards away, but the search for a proper ride was a little more time consuming. His eye came to rest upon a bundle of fur, who he eagerly pounced upon. "Tally-ho, fair steed," he yipped, "so that I may defend fair maidens!"

The gallant Knight Sir Didymus had only managed to charge half way to his intended destination when his chosen steed finally woke enough that he was able to fight. The steed reared up and pawed the air as it tossed the Knight from its back. "I say, that wasn't very nice!" Didymus complained in a yip as he sat up groggily.

The animal he'd chosen turned to glare fiercely at him, and his wild chittering informed him point blank that he was not a damn horse, would not be treated as such, and if Didymus thought that a simple toss was not nice or enough of a payback, he had better think again for he was far from done with him. As the furry animal had been declaring his intentions, he had also been pawing the floor. Now he charged and leapt on to Didymus. His claws and teeth scratched and bit with reckless abandon, and the two animals began rolling across the floor, fighting for one's pride and the other's life and complaining at the top of their lungs.

Brown eyes blinked open not far from the battling animals as the raccoon's furious chatterings and spittings raised his mistress. The native found herself staring at another who looked much like herself. She wondered who the girl was, where she came from, and if she might be a piece to the puzzle she was desperately trying to solve. Her head pounded, and her body ached. The noises around her drifted over her as she lay still, trying to figure out where the glowing light that bounced across the other native came from.

* * *

She was nuzzling cubs one second and leaping across the deck, changing as she went, in the next. Spotted fur quickly covered her body, and she ran awkwardly as her limbs shifted and contorted from human to animal. Her roar of warning echoed in the confines of the ship as her voice mingled with the high-pitched screaming of the mermaids. She sprinted at the cheetah's top speed and leapt into the doorway with a fierce roar.

The big cat's roar rattled the much larger man, and he immediately swung his gun from pointing at Urian to pointing at the creature he mistook for a mangy beast. Urian gripped his trident harder, knowing he had be to faster than their enemy but also knowing that he dared not move any further toward attack before the other man did lest the accursed sluggishness of his human form cause him to miss.

* * *

Brown eyes popped open in the darkness, and the young man bolted upright at the sounds of screams. His heart lurched in his throat, and his big eyes swept toward the open gangplank. Gangplank? he wondered. What was the gangplank doing in the hold of the ship? What kind of a ship was this, and how had they come to be here? Where was here? Who was in charge? It wasn't his father's ship, Sam knew, but that didn't mean his father didn't await them out there.

Weapons. He needed weapons. He had none. He had no choice. He had to defend Dean. He wouldn't let the bastard lay a finger on him, never again or, at least, not while there was still life left in his body!

He stumbled to his feet, tottering at his did so, and turned toward the open door. He started to make his way there, but pain burned so throughout his body that it was as though he was moving through a fog. He was passed quickly by a cheetah, a man with a hook for a hand, a dark-skinned woman who ran faster than he could currently think, a pale-skinned woman in a black dress who moved so swiftly she almost seemed to fly, and a blonde-haired man with a flapping trench coat who muttered about ripping somebody's head off and spitting down their neck.

* * *

As screams split the air, the tabby cat who had been sleeping peacefully just seconds before rose into the air, yowling at the top of his lungs. His striped fur fluffed out at all ends, and he came down, scratching and ripping with his claws as though something had hold to his tail.

"Jack!" Will cried upon seeing his beloved under attack by some sort of furry Demon. He reached instinctively for his hatchet.

Jack was screaming at the top of his lungs, "GET THIS THING OFF OF ME! DAMN CAT!" He was trying to reach his back, but he couldn't make it as his arms kept falling short. The pain was excruciating as the nails raked his back. His own screams added to the women's screams.

* * *

James was barely awake and blinked owlishly, hoping to see better. He held his hook at the ready. Something had attacked the women on deck! Zora had passed him quicker than a flash, and he had chased behind her. If anything ever happened to her that he could have prevented, Connor would never forgive him!

Lightning flashed. He was thankful for the light even if only for a brief second. The man who stood on top of the gangplank was one of the ugliest bastards he had ever seen! A one-eyed bastard, at that, with an arm of metal! Urian was the closest and at the ready, defending his beloved.

James held back to see what the outcome would be. He hoped Zora would not attack before Urian had a chance. After all, it had been his woman who had been attacked, and he should have the right to defend her, but if he should fail, since Zora got there second, it would be her right. He was third in line, hook at the ready and hoping Smee was not anywhere nearby.

* * *

"Hurry, my love! We must get you with your sister and the King so that I can defend you all together!" Though part of him screamed at him to turn and run toward the battle, Tom ran away from it as he and his beloved Katrina followed Celina's scent and desperately searched the air for Meesy's. There were many others aboard in their number who packed far more of a whallop than he did right now, Tom reminded himself, but he must gather his family together so that he could protect them all in case whatever enemy was now attacking their larger family made it pass the others.

Among those they passed was a young man who squealed in surprise and backed up against the wall as far as he could go. He wondered what kind of a bizarre place he had awakened in that there should be a vertically-challenged catman speaking in English, and his eyes almost popped out of his head at the unexpected sight of a blue, furry man walking on all fours across the ceiling. JD swallowed hard and turned to focusing his attention on looking around for his family.

The only light in the hold was a glowing light that bounced across the body of the native girl who had tried to rescue the redheaded mermaid. One of the light's bounces illuminated two figures who were near to it. The light only passed over them for a second, but that one split second was enough for JD to recognize them. He felt sick to his stomach, and his heart dropped pass his boots for what he had just seen was the man he loved more than life itself curled against his ex-lover, the very man he'd been looking at with lust in his eyes before JD had given himself to the storm in hope that it would kill him.

He reached for his guns but found them gone. It didn't matter, he told himself. He'd still face whatever enemy had set off the screaming women, and if he was lucky, the enemy would put him out of his misery. The Kid got to his feet and began stumbling toward the open gangplank.

* * *

A low moan came from Joxer's lips. He had been holding Phoebe, and he had managed to save her from getting her head cut off! He nuzzled her neck. She didn't smell right. Something wasn't right, but she curled into him even more and moaned something he didn't understand in a soft and utterable voice. His nose wrinkled as the scent grew stronger. It was one he recognized, but it wasn't Phoebe. He screamed when he opened his eyes and saw that Autolycus was wrapped around him!

Toly opened his eyes, and he screamed. They instantly rolled apart, sat up, and then scrambled backwards even more. "HOW _DARE_ YOU!" Autolycus yelled at Joxer as he recalled where Joxer's hands had been. "I AM _NOT THAT_ KIND OF MAN!"

"NEITHER AM I!" Joxer exclaimed.

They both glanced anxiously around, making sure nobody had seen them and hoping no one had heard them. Joxer got unsteadily to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Toly asked him.

"To look for Xena." Without a backward glance, he marched off, not knowing where the Hell he was going, just knowing that he had to get away from Autolycus and what he had almost done.

* * *

Chong had awakened for what seemed only a short while before screams had pierced the air. He had been sitting cross-legged and meditating, a thing he did every morning in his search for inner peace. He needed it more now than he'd ever needed it before. Derek was driving him crazy. Derek had managed to hold on to Hansel the whole time, while he had had to carry Wesley. He could not have, in good conscious, left the man behind to die when he was still alive. Every part of his body and his heart had wanted him to hold on to Hansel, but he had known that if he had left Wesley behind, he would have thought about it every day for the rest of his life. He tried to be the best man that he could be, and sometimes that meant making hard decisions.

He had just about made up his mind to see if he could wake Hansel and talk to him when the screams had split the air. He moved closer so that his hand touched his beloved. When his startled blue eyes flashed open, Chong spoke reassuringly, trying to soothe Hansel. "I don't know what it is, love, but there's already a lot of them gone up there to take care of them. This time I'm staying close to you. Derek can go see."

Wesley moaned but didn't open his eyes. Chong looked over at him but did not crawl back over to check him out. Instead, he reached out and kicked Derek.

Derek's eyes flashed open, gazing in amazement at Chong. "Did you just _kick_ me?!"

"Yes. Get up and go see what's going on! It's my turn to take care of Hansel."

Derek sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You think I'm going off and leaving _you_ with Hansel? There ain't _no way_!"

"We'll all go."

"No," Hansel finally found his voice. Despite his negative thoughts on the matter, he was grinning widely for his loves' brief argument had reminded him that he was indeed worth fighting over! "We'll stay here and let the others see what's going on. We have no weapons," he reminded Chong, "and we don't know what's going on out there. Best to wait here until we know what's going down."

"Where is here?" Chong asked as his eyes wandered around the walls and up to the rafters. "_What_ is here?"

Derek looked at him, shaking his head. He had not the foggiest idea. "We drowned. We're in Hell? Maybe that's Demons tearing our members apart?"

Hansel again shook his head as he looked at the two men he loved more than anything else save each other. "We're not in Hell," he told them. "We can't be, 'cause Hell's supposed to be the absolute worst that can happen an' if we were in Hell, I wouldn't have you guys loving me. Besides, there's no fire and brimstone."

Chong sniffed the air. "You're right about that, but . . . just in case . . . we'll stay here. They'll have to come get us." He eyed Derek, and Derek returned his gaze. They moved to where Hansel was directly in between them, each man secretly vowing that they'd have to be carted off first before they'd ever get to Hansel.

* * *

Kat's emerald eyes flew open at the sound of screams. She dismissed it a second later as they sounded too human to concern her and the voices did not belong to those very few she considered her family. She sat up groggily, her throat burning, and her hands reached out to where she could instinctively feel Captain slumbering. She quickly checked him over for injuries. He was bruised and aching, but thank Bast, he'd live. She rose a hand into the air, summoned a medium fireball that bounced inside her palm, and looked around by its light.

She found Ace laying not too far away. She dismissed her light, gingerly lifted Captain, and made her way toward her love. She knelt beside him, shifted Captain to where she cradled him with only one arm, and lovingly ran her hand over his face. He still breathed, and as she thanked Bast for that, she gently kissed his lips. Her free hand moved over his body, checking him for injuries, but she stilled as the sound of Zora's roar erupted from the same approximate area as the screams from before.

She paused only a split second before making her decision. She laid Captain down on top of Ace's chest, turned, and ran. As she raced toward Zora, she began conjuring fireballs, whose flames eagerly licked the palms of her hands.

* * *

Chris' head hurt like he had been on a drinking binge, and his tongue felt like it was swollen three times normal size. He craved for a drink of something foreign yet familiar and realized it was water, something he hadn't drank in a long time, but he was damn sure thirsty now. A weight was against his body, and he reached out one hand, hoping it was Vin so that he wouldn't have to look too hard to find him. He felt like death warmed over but shook all the way to his boots when his groping hand realized that it was the familiar contours of Bucklin's body. "Buck, what the Hell are you doing?!" he mumbled.

Buck muttered sleepily. He was having a dream where he and JD had been fussing, and now they were making up. JD's hand was running all over his back, and Buck turned inward toward him and was about to reach out himself and stroke his beloved's body when he heard Chris' mumbling mouth. "Chris, what the _Hell_ am I doing here?!" he demanded as his eyes popped open in shock.

"The same thing I was asking you, Buck! Where's JD? Where's my Vinny?!"

Buck sat up gingerly, his head spinning. "Too damn dark to tell, Chris! I can't see anything in here but you and this flickering light! What the Hell is that?" Buck squinted in the darkness. "I'll be damned! Chris, ya ain't gonna believe this! That damn Faerie made it! She can't wake up her friend."

"Hope the girl ain't dead," Chris mumbled. He sat up and looked in the direction Buck was indicating.

The Faerie heard the mustached man's words, and fury burned within her tiny frame. How dare he cuss her! How dare he slander her, after all she'd done for him and his people! How dare he cuss her when she and her beloved had risked life and limb for him and the other stupid humans who had been aboard his ship!

Her light turned to a bright red as she zipped across the ship and into his face. She tinkled furiously, glowering at him with as much anger and hatred as her tiny face could hold, and then gave him a wet, loud raspberry that she usually reserved for another who was finally out of her life for good. Before he could react pass his pathetic attempt to slap at her, the Faerie zipped back across and resumed her efforts to wake up the one she loved.

She felt like crying, and she clung to her anger like it was a life preserver. It was always better to be mad than to break down and cry. Men always laughed when a woman cried. Well, not all men, she reminded herself as a memory haunted her mind, but all men who didn't have an ulterior motive that persuaded them to offer a sympathetic ear and a handkerchief. "Tiger!" she cried. "Tiger! Wake, my love! You must be all right! Please wake!"

Buck got unsteadily to his feet and tottered over to where the small creature was trying so desperately to wake the Indian girl. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, ma'am," he apologized. "I was just amazed! You were so tiny and . . . so much water comin' down . . . We're dead and in Hell! Chris, _that's where we are!_" His voice rose to a high pitch, and he turned panicked eyes to his old friend.

Chris, ever the more sensible, got unsteadily to his feet, every bone in his body hurting, and walked over to the group. He knelt down beside the girl and put his hand in front of her nose to see if she was breathing. "She's alive," he told her. The red light instantly turned to a joyful golden color.

"I don't know how to wake her. I do have a good doctor in my crew, if he hasn't been killed." He prayed silently, hoping that none of his men had been killed. "We'll go in search of him, and when we find him, we'll bring him back. Don't despair, little miss. We won't desert you."

He stopped, hesitating. "Ma'am, did you cause our ship to fly?" He had to know. He hoped it didn't anger her.

She turned to look up at the man in black and then twinkled and tinkled in affirmation. Perhaps knowing that he owed her would speed his search for a way to bring her beloved back to her?

"Thank you for that, ma'am," Chris said with a respectful tip of his hat.

"We'll be off to find Nathan now. Don't despair, little miss," Buck told her as he walked beside Chris.

* * *

Kurt had been awake for how long he had no clue, but he had walked slowly around the ship, checking out the area to find out where they were being held. He had at first thought that they were prisoners, but the steady rhythm of the gentle rocking of the boat had told him that they were being carried somewhere. The absence of guards had made him think that they were not prisoners.

He had been in search of Kitty and 'Heed, and his disappointment had grown as he had not been able to find them. He had hoped to have awakened, holding on to both of them. His eyes could clearly see in the dark, and he was able to identify every one he had passed. He knew there was no way that he could have passed Kitty in the dark, and then, suddenly, he stumbled upon them: Kitty and 'Heed locked together in a tight embrace that, somehow, he had fallen out of.

"Danke Goddess!" left his lips before he even realized it as he could tell that they were both breathing. She might have deserted them at the time that they had needed Her the most, a second time, but at least She had made sure that his family still lived and breathed. He had never thought Her to be a fickle God until these two instances that She had pulled. Now he trusted none of Them.

He pulled Kitty into his arms and kissed her gently, hoping she would awaken.

* * *

Cole's nose wrinkled, and he breathed in the heavenly scent of his beloved? He had been holding a woman and been awake for the last couple of seconds, a woman he had thought was Piper, but the scent wasn't right. His Piper smelled of vanilla, cookies, freshly baked apple pie, and other delicious cooking smells. He didn't know who he held and was afraid to open his eyes, but he knew it wasn't Piper. Whoever it was, Piper would never understand! She'd think he'd moved on to somebody!

Barely cracking his eyes open, he saw not the beloved face of his sweetheart but that of her sister, Prue! Oh Gods! he thought. She wakes up, I'm holding her, she's going to blast me! How to get out of this entanglement?! He withdrew his arms slowly out from under her head.

Prue moaned and nestled in closer. She was dreaming that she had, at last, managed to get Brendan to sleep with her, holding her close, and yet now he was struggling to get out from under her. His arm must have gone to sleep, she thought. She didn't open her eyes but stretched languishedly and purred like a kitten as she moved even closer.

Cole did not know what to do other than to shimmer. He knew that if he didn't shimmer, he'd be in deep crap because Prue was now beginning to wake up. He did so but only to a small pace away from them. His eyes anxiously glanced around, hoping to find Piper.

Prue opened her eyes in bewilderment. Where had Brendan gone? Maybe he awoke and had to go to the bathroom? She shut her eyes. I'll just wait here for him. He'll return.

Cole's eyes roamed the small area that he could see. He breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting the familiar back of Piper's head, but then his eyes grew wide with shock as he realized that she was in Brendan's arms! The next thing Cole realized was that even though Piper was in Brendan's arms, she was still asleep. He watched to see what Brendan would do. Could he help him get out of the entanglement before Piper woke up?

* * *

Not too far from where Chris and Buck had awakened, Josiah moved in his sleep, his hands grasping on to something that, in truth, really wasn't there but yet was. He was having some strange dreams about saving Lacy, never realizing that he was holding on to Lacy's breast.

Chris had to smile when he saw the interesting position. He reached to touch Josiah when Lacy sighed and cuddled into Josiah. "Like what ya feel, shugah?" she practically purred.

Trying to keep a straight face, Chris asked, "Josiah, ahem, are you okay?"

Buck just grinned a stupid-looking grin. "So, the preacher has a fetish! Never would've thought it of him! Breasts! Perky, honey suckle breasts!"

Lacy heard the two men from behind them and turned her head upwards with an inviting smile. "Why don't cha come down here an' find out just how honeyish they are, dahlin'?"

Buck turned seventeen shades of red and mumbled something under his breath about, "'scuse me, ma'am."

Josiah's eyes flashed open and, in a panick, he snatched his hands back. "Sorry about that, sister! I was dreaming I was saving you!"

Lacy turned over to look at him. She reached out and rubbed her stockinged ankle against the first part of his leg that poked out from his boots. "You can save me any time, shugah!" Her eyelashes batted toyingly at him.

Josiah got to his feet so quickly that Chris couldn't help but to give a tiny smile.

* * *

Unbeknownst to those gathered around Lacy, another member of the Magnificos watched his friends under shielded eyelashes. He had felt something hard pressing against his side when he'd come around, and to his delight, he had found it to be a bottle of whiskey. He raised the bottle in a toast to his friends, smiling littedly from one corner of his handsome face to the other. If only you knew what Ah know, mah friends. He drank deeply, trying to block out that awful night.

* * *

Katrina stayed very close to her beloved husband, her cat eyes searching for her dear sister in the dark. And where was Morph, she wondered, her brave brother-in-law? She hoped he was all right. Her bright eyes were drawn, for a moment, to where she could see Sebastian pinching tiger cubs in the butt, trying to keep them close together. They kept trying to scamper in the direction that Zora had gone, and Sebastian's claws were quite full at the moment. She wondered where Wolfie was gone to and knew that he usually had very little trouble controlling the cubs.

"Tom, perhaps we should help?" she mewed in cat language.

Tom paused to consider the situation, but he knew that he would never stand a chance of holding both cubs. "We can come back, love, after we've found Celina and Meesy. I am sure Sebastian can handle them until then." He guided her pass the trio, his nose steadily sniffing the air, his mind searching, and his heart aching.

Sebastian muttered to himself as the couple walked past them. "You may be sure 'bout dat, Puss in Boots, but ol' Sebastian not be as sure. Hey, you dere!" He stopped a cub's retreat yet again, gently placing a claw down upon her tiny head. "Mirage, settle down! Dis not be de time to be followin' yer mother!"

Tom, alone amongst his family, knew what had happened to his other best friend for he'd felt him go when there had been nothing he could have done about it. Yet he should have, Tom argued with himself. He should have seen that their wives were safe and then doubled back for Morph. Now, because of his lowly hide, the second dearest friend he'd ever had, the brave Earthling who had risked life and limb so many countless times to save the rest of them, was probably dead. He bit back a sob, and his orange tail jerked angrily. Protect them first, he told himself, and then kick your miserable tail.

Vang roared the second he sensed Katrina and Tom coming close. His roar called to them to come to Celina, whose unconscious form he had been watching over impatiently. As soon as he knew they heard him, he broke into a loping run heading after his daughter.

* * *

Ace woke up as something was nuzzling his face. He could have sworn Kat had just kissed him, but when he opened his eyes, all he found was Captain. "Where's Kat?" he asked the cat, not expecting him to answer as he usually didn't deign to answer Ace. Ace knew it was because he didn't totally approve of him. Ace couldn't really blame the tabby cat. After all, he just wanted for Kat what Ace wanted for Kat: the very best. Ace didn't think he was the very best; he just thought he was the luckiest to be able to be with her. He was surprised when Captain told him she had ran toward the deck and trouble.

"Where's Clyde?" Ace asked the cat.

"Don't know," Captain told him with a sad shake of his head. "I haven't heard, seen, or smelled him," he broke the news with as gentle a voice and as sympathetic a look as he could manage.

Ace gulped down a choking feeling in his throat. He hated to think his best buddy might be gone forever! He and Clyde had been through a lot together, and Clyde had never left him once unless he was commanded to and, even then, he always snuck back. He, too, feared that his buddy might be dead. "We should go," he told Captain. "Kat might need us." He didn't know what kind of trouble awaited them on deck but had a feeling that Kat could handle might near anything. Far ahead, he could see Kat's fireballs glowing and getting bigger all the time. He hoped he could get there in time to see her in action and maybe get a little action of his own, retaliation for Clyde's death.

* * *

Sean stirred slowly awake and realized that he was holding something soft that smelled good in his arms. His emerald eyes flashed open and saw the scantily-clad but very beautiful woman he held in his arms. He recalled that her name was Emma. He lay there, holding her trying to figure how much he did know about her and why they were together. He could not remember why they were even with this group of people or why he had left Ireland until his roaming eyes saw a still, black form and then everything, or so he thought, seemed to fall in on him.

Salem. That's right! Salem was their leader! Why was he in cat form? He'd have to wake the cat up and ask him. Somehow, he knew it was Salem, but he didn't know why. Something had gone terribly wrong! Perhaps Salem had done a spell and trapped his own self? Nae, he was too powerful and cunning for such foolishery! He'd have to ask him later after Emma woke up. For now, he was intent to hold her and watch her sleep until a white-gloved hand slapped him.

"How _dare_ you!" the blonde woman in the Irish man's arms seethed up at his far too handsome face. "Release me this instant, you . . . you _buffoon_!" She wriggled her nose, but to her horror, nothing happened. Her jaw slackened. She wriggled her nose. She pointed her finger at him. It wasn't working! He wasn't turning into a monkey!

Sean dropped her and scooted away from her. She looked so cute and funny too, at the same time, that Sean had to laugh. What did she think she was doing, working a spell on _him_? And why wasn't her magic working? He remembered that much about her. She was a Witch, and he gasped. A mind Witch! "Em, din't!" He raised one hand toward her, hoping to stave her off. How could some one so beautiful turn so quickly from a loving creature into a half-crazed maniac?! "Salem would nae want ye tae turn me intae whatever ye were goin' tae turn me intae!" his voice squeaked higher.

Her blue eyes flashed at him. "How do you know my name," she picked his own from his brain easily enough, "Cassidy?" And why wasn't her magic working? Had some one placed a spell on her? Was this a magic-blocking confinement chamber? That must be what it was! She'd have to get him outside of this place, and then she could turn him into whatever she pleased! A monkey was too good for him, she realized. A rat would be more fitting as the bastard had first dared to touch her and hold her and then dropped her unceremoniously onto her rear!

She got to her feet. Her magic wasn't working, but her powers were. Her ice blue eyes cut into him. "Don't worry," she snapped out sarcastically. "I'll not turn you into anything . . . yet." Instead, she began delving into his mind to find the truth beyond the words he sputtered.

Sean wished Salem would wake up and save him. Emma was a beautiful woman but very deadly. He wanted to scream for Salem, and as Emma advanced on him, he did scream. His sonic scream burst forth, knocking Emma all the way across the room into the wall where she slid down with a dazed look on her face. "Did I di that?" he asked innocently.

Emma picked herself up again and dusted her white clothing off as well as she could. Her eyes cut into him from across the ship. "_HOW __**DARE**__ YOU!!_" she hissed out. Her hand opened, and she summoned her psionic whip. She cracked the whip high twice in warning, then ran at the Irish man, intent upon his demise.

Sean screamed again. Now that he had found his power, he was totally tickled. She was a Witch whose powers didn't work, but he had a feeling that, if that whip touched him just once, he was done for! He gave it all he had and threw her against the wall again.

From several paces away, another blonde woman glowered at Sean, her blue eyes slicing into him. "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!" Trina demanded. "WE HAVE INJURED PEOPLE ABOARD, AND YOU IDIOTS AREN'T HELPING MATTERS!"

Andrew had to hold back a smile. Trina sure was feisty when she woke up, and she wasn't grabbing for Carlos yet. There was hope, he told himself. Trent was gone, and Andrew feared he was dead. He prayed that Trent's death would not turn Trina to Carlos. He had had too many nightmares about Trina turning to Carlos. He prayed it would never happen and knew that, if things did not soon work themselves out for the better, he would be envious of Trina's every touch on Carlos despite knowing Carlos' secret.

* * *

Brendan had lain still, not aware of moaning, and clutched Prue even tighter as high-pitched screams had assaulted his ears. Only one creature screamed like that, and though he wondered what was attacking the mermaids, he could not even begin to hope to rise to go after them and, regardless, he was loathe to leave Prue. He knew he should, though, and he moaned again with the emotions that wrenched within his heart as the screams subsided. The screams had drowned out the voice of the woman next to him as she had coaxed him soothingly, telling him to try to settle, and assuring him that they'd calm down soon.

The first thing he was aware of after the screams had passed was that she was touching him again, gently holding his ears with her small hands as though she could somehow block out the wretched noise that threatened to burst his ear drums and make his ears bleed. The next was of a scent. It was welcoming and, strangely enough, made him yearn for food, for his beloved's sister's good cooking.

As he came to place the scent as being more of vanilla, freshly baked goodies, and tender, succulent meats, Brendan realized two things. The first was that it was not Prue he was smelling; it was Piper. The second was that his accursed wolf was trying yet again to rear its ugly head.

Why was he smelling Piper, he wondered, when his beloved Prue lay, slumbering sweetly, in his arms? His brown eyes cracked open, and Brendan's hand flew to press against his mouth to hold in the disturbed howl that raised in his throat. Piper! It was Piper! He was holding Piper! But . . . It couldn't be! But it was! How?!

He didn't know, but he was definitely holding Piper and she was curled tightly into his side, her hands resting on his neck! He moved slowly, trying to escape her hold, and Piper whispered to him, "Cole, honey, what is it?"

Brendan blanched even more. He couldn't wake her! She'd never forgive him for the mistake, and she'd tell Prue and Cole and neither of them would ever forgive him! Damn his wolf!! It had to have something to do with this whole thing! Piper smelled like the meats she cooked, and it had moved to her, wanting that meat, aching to be fed, aching to . . .

Damn, he had to get away!! He had to get away from her before it was too late! The beginning sounds of a nervous howl broke pass his clenched hand, and Piper's eyes flew open. "_**BRENDAN!?!**_" She threw out her hands instinctively, and he froze in place.

Cole's eyes widened at the sight. He had to do or say something to stop Piper before she blasted Brendan into smithereens! "Piper?" his voice came gently to her ears. "This is Brendan. Do not smite him, please. Hold it in."

Piper froze at the first sound of her beloved's voice, her eyes flying with terror at Brendan's naked body. Dear Gods, he'd think she had intended this! She lay still and silent at first, but when Cole spoke the obvious, that it was Brendan she had been wrapped around, Piper started exclaiming her innocence. "Cole? C-Cole, this . . . This isn't what it looks like! I swear it isn't!"

As she protested, she slid backwards away from Brendan, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. "He . . . He was naked because of the wolf, and . . . and . . . I don't know how I woke up with him," she wailed, "but I thought it was you! I honestly did! I don't know how I could have mistaken you, but I didn't! I didn't mean . . . Dear Gods, I didn't mean anything by it! I don't want _him_; I don't love _him_! I want you! I love _you_ and only _you_!"

As Piper babbled, Brendan came to. He stared at her and then jumped to his feet and ran. There was no barrel or any clothes laying around, and he finally ducked behind one of the stalls where some of the larger animals had been staying.

As Piper babbled, Cole's smile grew even wider. "Darling, I know it wasn't you. Whatever benevolent Being who saved us and put us aboard this vessel simply messed up. They put me with Prue." He was now pulling her up and into his arms. He whispered next to her ear, "Boy, was that a mistake! I don't love your sister that way! I care about her because she is your sister. Poor Brendan is probably scared out of his mind! You ladies are not the easiest in this world to wake up to, especially if you're pissed off." He nuzzled her neck before he kissed her gently upon the lips, holding her tightly as though he would never let her go.

* * *

"We have to find Nathan," Buck informed Josiah, "wake him up, and get him to doctoring. We probably have a lot o' injured." He wished he had a lantern so that he could see what their surroundings were. As it was, he could only hope he didn't fall over any dead bodies. The hold of the ship was now beginning to come to life, but there were still too many still bodies.

Chris had always been able to see like a cat in the dark. He led the way.

Josiah hurriedly joined them, still shuddering at the thought of waking up to a woman's breast in his hands! He only hoped Nathan never found out. How could he ever explain _that_ to his partner?! He knew, sooner or later, he'd have to 'cause Buck couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

Lacy trailed behind the men, her mind solely upon wondering fearfully what had happened to her cousin. She had seen him once before the storm had taken them all, and the flash she'd seen of him had been him fighting aboard an enemy ship, gutting wicked Pirates left and right, mere seconds before the ship had been sucked into a gigantic whirlpool. Was he dead? Did he, by some miracle, live? Would he remember her? Would he still trust her? Could she still trust him? Questions whirled around the blonde's head, and she began attempting to distract herself by watching the rear ends of the men moving ahead of her.

At an even slower pace, a red-jacketed Pirate followed Lacy, his hand still feverishly clutching the whiskey bottle some mysterious force had granted him. Every time his eyes trailed to her sashaying rear end, his mind flashed back to the scariest night he'd endured in a long time, and he took another sip of the burning liquid that, sooner or later, would take care of the memories.

* * *

Prue got to her feet at the sound of her sister babbling incoherently. "Piper? What's wrong? Have you guys seen Brendan?"

"Well . . . Nothing much is wrong," Cole told Prue, "not now. Brendan's over there, hiding in that stall."

Prue shook her head and began to walk toward Brendan. Only he would use the bathroom in a stall! "Brendan?" she called as she came closer. "You don't have to hide from me. I've seen it before, you know," she called hopefully to him.

Cole's eyes returned to Piper. Piper smiled up at him, for a moment, forgetting about her sisters in her gladness that he knew she had not intended to awaken with Brendan, let alone a naked Brendan. She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him again even as Brendan backed further into the stall, causing a commotion amongst the animals.

"Prue . . . Prue, stay out there! It's . . . It's for the best! You've got to trust me on this one!" She had to. Dear Gods, he had come so close to eating her sister . . . He would not have been able to bare that, but he could bare eating Prue even less!

"Brendan," Prue called, "haven't you noticed that, even though you're agitated, you haven't wolfed? I'll find you something to wear so that you can come out from behind there. Just don't disappear. Stay there!"

"Prue, I may not have wolfed yet, but I came very, very, very, _very_ close to and . . . " He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell her he had almost eaten her only remaining sister! "Just please, stay away from me, for your own sake! You must!" He backed up until he bumped into something big and cushiony. The elephant, who had been turned around, caring for a much younger elephant, trumpeted and released a toxic wave of nervousness. The smell hit Brendan's nose, and he fainted.

"Brendan?" Prue called. "Brendan!" She didn't know what had got him other than the stink, but he had fallen on to the floor. She inched around and looked at the big stall where the mother elephant was taking care of her baby and many other animals were chuckling. There was Brendan, in all his naked gloriousness, laying, unconscious, on the floor! Prue adverted her eyes from the area that bothered Brendan the most and raced back to where Piper and Cole were, waving her nose from the stench.

Cole saw her coming before Piper did. "Prue?"

"Brendan's unconscious. An elephant knocked him out." She couldn't help but to giggle. "I need some kind of clothes for him. He's naked!"

"You're probably not going to find anything," Cole told Prue, "but if you can find Jareth, Jareth can put something on Brendan."

"Do you know where Jareth is?" Prue asked Cole.

"We can go in search. I can see like a cat in the dark. Speaking of cats . . . " Cole reached down and picked Kit up. She had been clinging to his boot. He handed her to Piper. At first, the frightened cat hissed, but then she settled down when she was realized that she was safe in Piper's arms and began to purr. They went in search of Jareth.

* * *

Connor had been about to chase after Zora when she had headed for the deck, but she had roared angrily back at him to stay put and watch the family. He had done just that as soon as he had been able to locate them. Now he was watching Sebastian trying to keep the cubs in one place and wondering where Wolfie was. His father, Smee, was still asleep, and he was glad because he could not find his paternal father anywhere. He had watched as Tom and Katrina had met Vang and taken over the watching of Celina so that Vang could chase after Zora.

* * *

Jareth was awakened abruptly by something chewing on his ear. His left hand reached up and was about to slap it when he came into contact with a soft, squishy body who was muttering around his tiny teeth. "Come inside. Meet the Missus. Come inside. Meet the Missus."

Jareth grabbed Worm so tightly that he almost squished him into a bloody pulp. "Worm!" he said very sternly. "How _dare_ you try to eat my ear!"

"Come inside. Meet the Missus."

Jareth brought Worm to eye level. "Worm, you know very well that the Missus is dead." As Worm began to continue the liturgy of calling, "Come inside," Jareth told him, "_Don't_ come inside! Snap out of it, old friend! We have to go in search of Delvira. Maybe she can do something about your crazy, little, fuzzy brain! Of all the _nerve_ and of all the _times_ for you to try to _**eat**_ me!"

Worm did not try to deny it. He just kept repeating over and over again, "Come inside. Meet the Missus."

Jareth put his gloved finger on the little creature's mouth. "_Don't_ come inside, Worm." He had never seen the little fellow in such a horrible way, and he knew that the drowning must have snapped what little bit had been left of Worm's mind. He hoped Delvira could save him for he had not a clue and he desperately wanted him to be okay. He had already lost so many! He couldn't stand to lose even one more, most especially not his dearest, oldest friend!

He slipped him inside his pocket, got to his feet, and went to look for his lady wife. He could still hear the little fellow's murmurings, "Come inside. Meet the Missus." It shook Jareth to his very core, and he prayed Delvira had the answer to stop the nightmare.

* * *

The other blonde's mouth caused Emma's fury to flare even hotter. She charged across the ship toward Sean again, but this time, she managed to get close enough to Salem that his black fur caught her attention. She stopped in mid-stride, her whip going limp by her side. "Salem?" she whispered. Why was he a cat? She didn't know, but she instinctively knew that the still, black cat was Salem, the man who had saved her from the insane asylum.

She glared once more at the Irish man. "If you take a step closer to me or attack either of us, I'll fry your brain where you stand." She knelt beside Salem and gathered his limp body gently into her gloved hands.

"Why would I attack Salem or ye?" Sean questioned her even as he crept closer and knelt beside her. He gazed down at Salem and hoped that he would soon open his eyes.

"You . . . " She paused a moment. "You are one of his?"

"Aye. We're family, Em. I'd ne'er hurt ye, an' I'd damn sure ne'er hurt Salem! Who could ha'e done this tae him?" His voice shook, and he clenched his hands in futility. "I'd strike 'em down where they stand if'n I knew!"

Her voice was flat and cold as she told him, "I have no family, but I'd fry their brains and melt their bones for daring to touch him in such a manner." Yet the first part of her sentence did not sound right. It was true, she told herself. She had no family. She owed Salem, but she could not trust him and she certainly could not trust the bold, Irish fool before her. The family she'd thought had loved her had been the very ones to condemn her, and she would never again make the mistake of trusting any one, she vowed.

Sean smiled sadly at her. "Ye're wrong, Em. I'd ne'er harm ye, an' I'd ne'er harm him. We are family."

"Perhaps," she returned, her tone sounding like ice, "you two are, but what family I had is dead and I'll never have another." Why had she told him that? It was none of his business. "Now shut up." She began to gently attempt to raise Salem's consciousness.

Sean looked hopefully on, and he did shut up even though he wanted to tell Emma again that she was the one who was wrong. He had seen the ring on her finger and it matched his exactly, but he knew now was not the time to bring that little fact up. It might set her even further off the deep end. He wondered why he had forgotten his wife, who had been messing with his mind. It had to be what the rings meant, but only the cat who lay so still in Emma's hands could tell them the answer. He hoped he would awaken soon.

Satisfied that the Irish man and his wife would stay quiet, Trina looked back to Carlos from where she knelt beside him. He was mightily bruised, and dried blood coated his clothes. She had not located any broken bones, however, and he had come briefly to right before the storm. Those had to be good signs. She prayed he'd awaken soon, be all right, and that they would find and rescue her beloved brother before it was too late.

* * *

Delvira blasted onto the scene quite literally as she hurled a fireball directly at the stranger's big gun. The fireball's heat sizzled next to the four gathered in the doorway but did not touch them as it spiraled toward their enemy. The man pulled his trigger, but the bullet melted into instant ash nearly the very instant it entered the fireball. The fireball then blasted into the gun, melting it into scrap metal. The man hollered, dropped his gun, and backed up. "What kind of Witch are you?!" he growled.

Delvira's black eyes gleamed dangerously at him as she made her way pass those who had been unable to attack while the stranger had had his gun pointed at Tessa's head. "The kind that's gonna kick your arse," she growled back.

James looked admiringly at Delvira. He didn't know if Jareth knew how much of a jewel he had, but this was definitely one Hell of a woman! He'd have to tell him about it later. She had scared the big man so badly that he'd backed up again, and he had never seen anything like a gun melting like that or a bullet, either! What a bold strike! he thought.

Janeesa peered anxiously around Urian at Delvira. She smiled when she saw the gun melt. She was not envious of Delvira's powers for she knew that with great power came great responsibility. She didn't want that responsibility. She wouldn't have minded if Urian had had that power. It would keep him from getting hurt as much as he tended to.

Tessa had moved to stand behind Urian, as well. Now she smiled as the big man backed up. She turned her smile toward Delvira. "Nice move!" Tessa told Delvira. "Now make him run!" she whispered. "He can't have my Ray!"

Urian smiled, his teeth, that should have been pearly white, gleaming. His eyes seemed to boast at the big man. Just as he'd told him, even if he had made it pass him, he would _never_ make it through all of them!

"¡Shitt del Oh!" Theodora breathed from behind Tessa as she saw something looming up behind the big man who was now clearly spooked. "¡Reloj hacia fuera!"

Vang leaned forward, going a step beyond his daughter. His mighty muscles rippled underneath his striped coat, and his tail jerked in anticipation of trouble. Zora took two steps forward, just as determined to protect her father as he was to protect her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a new voice warned even as Theo tried to warn Delvira of the being who had merged so completely with the darkness the others had not seen her. The white-haired man turned and smiled to see his companion just behind him. The new pale-skinned woman flipped over her lover and landed on the gangplank with two big guns, one pointing at Urian and the other at James. "Your fire might save one," she calmly informed her opponent, "but it'll never make it to two in time."

James stared down the barrel of the biggest gun he thought he'd ever seen, and his mustache twitched anxiously. He knew his hook was no match for the gun. He wondered if the pale-skinned woman was a Vampire. Where were their Vampires, besides Delvira? They should be up here, attacking!

Janeesa wanted to snatch Urian away and run with him. That had to be the biggest, ugliest gun she'd ever seen, and the woman held it as though it was an every-day occurrence with her! She knew what she was about. Urian's trident could match it with very little power, if he only knew what he held. How could she tell him what it was? He probably thought it was a different kind of sword. Janeesa attempted to talk to Urian, but everything was happening so fast she feared he only got part of what she was telling him.

Daddy left that for you. It's one of his. It's not a sword. It's very powerful. So powerful, she feared, that he might not be able to handle it. She hesitated, finishing what she had been about to tell him. What if he couldn't handle it? What if it blew him apart instead of blowing the opposition apart? She had seen that very same trident used on more than one occasion. Without the proper training, it could hurt Urian badly!

Urian wondered what Janeesa was babbling about but didn't have time or enough concentration to focus on all her words. He kept an arm behind him, shielding her and her sister as best he could, as he stared bravely at the gun. His hand flexed and then tightened again on the handle of the trident Janeesa said her father had left for him.

Why would such a powerful Being leave a mere, puny human anything? Why did He care anything about them? Why not just take His daughters to safety and leave the rest of them behind to die? There were too many questions and no time for answers. He shifted the trident, aiming it better toward the strange woman's heart, and knowing that, though it went against everything he believed, he'd have no choice but to kill the woman or stand idly by and let her kill the wonderful ladies behind him.

JD gulped and stared at the woman who wielded the big guns as though they weighed nothing more than a parasol. He felt another man, bigger than himself but about the same age he appeared to be, also staring in shock, amazement, and fear at the woman with the guns. He heard the low growling of the tiger and the cheetah, but he knew they'd be no match either. He longed for the good, old days when he could have taken out the woman with hardly a thought, but as it was, he didn't have a single weapon. Not that that mattered, he remembered as the memory of his love spooning with the man he truly wanted flashed again through his mind, because it didn't. He hadn't come here to fight; he had come here to die.

Delvira glared back at her as she shifted through her possible moves. A brogue cut through the air from just behind and to her left. "Aye, but she can get one an' I the other, an' then we'll blast yer asses to smithereens."

James breathed an inward sigh of relief. He knew what Kat was capable of, and she had arrived on the scene! Now she'd make this fancy lady dance!

The strange woman with a black patch drawn around one eye stared the other two women down with a cold bark of laughter. "Fat chance, _ladies_," she pointedly eyed Delvira's black dress that left so little to the imagination and so much visible, her tone indicating that she used the term very loosely. She fired. Kat and Delvira slung their fireballs, hoping they'd be fast enough.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

**Somewhere**

Will's hands were torn and bloody by the time he finally managed to grab the mean-spirited cat who was ripping viciously into his beloved. Will's fingers tightly gripped the scruff of the feline's neck, and he shook him while pulling him away from Jack. "Curse you, cat!" he cried. "How dare you attack him! Jack, are you all right, love?!" He peered anxiously down at his beloved's tattered back while keeping the still-hissing cat at arm's length and well away from Jack.

"What in the Hell has got into that cat?!" Jack asked through gritted teeth. The pain in his back reminded him of lashes that he had taken once upon a time. It was a memory he tried his best to keep repressed. Jack got slowly to his feet, reached out, grabbed the cat by the throat, and brought him up to eye level. "I don't know what Demon has possessed you, you little devil," he said through gritted teeth, "but go away until you get a hold of yourself and can behave!" He threw the cat disgustedly from him and watched thankfully as the cat ran off to attack something else.

"Thank you, Will, for pulling that damn beastie off me back! His poor, little brain must've snapped. I don't blame him one bit, although why he attacked me, I don't know." Jack really didn't expect any answer to come but did hope that the cat would get himself together. "Shall we go and see what the women were screaming about?"

Displeasure flashed across Will's face for just a moment, but he hid it well with an affirming nod and slight, reassuring smile. "Aye, love." And get you a doctor while we're about it, he added silently, knowing that Jack would never place his welfare above his crew's. He reached out, took Jack's hand, and began leading him toward where the screams had come from while his brown eyes darted around the ship in search of a doctor. He was glad to see the one called Beast heading for the door, as well. The man was stranger than perhaps any other allied being Will had met yet, but he had heard the others talk of his abilities and knew that, with no healer available, Hank McCoy would be their best bet.

Jack's eyes were constantly searching hopefully for a bottle of rum. He had seen the cuts on Will but had not let on. If he could only find a bottle of rum, he could wash the cuts, preventing Will from the possibility of catching cat scratch fever. After all, it was a demented tabby who had scratched him up thus. Jack had never seen any one with cat scratch fever, but his mind kept flashing to the idea that Will might change on the full moon. Never once did he think that he might change, too!

His eyes were everywhere except where he was walking and, if it had not been for the firm hand that pulled him along, he would have stumbled and fallen. Jack also knew that Janeesa and Tessa were not ones to scream at the slightest amount of danger. If it had been a snake, other females would have screamed. Therefore, he knew they must be in great danger, yet he was loathe to arrive on the scene, fearing that they were about to fall into the crap again and he was a lot like Willow.

He was at his rope's end and felt that if they fell into it one more time, they might not make it out alive. He did not have any idea how many they had actually lost, never to be seen again, but amongst those he knew he had lost were his father, mother, and some of his sisters. A small smile appeared as Jack remembered how some of them had fallen screaming, some had jumped willingly, but only his Faith had cussed a blue streak. He pitied the man who found her for he knew she'd be more than a match for anything she might come up against.

* * *

Cordelia groaned again as her hazel eyes slowly fluttered open. Her first thought, as it had been every day since she had been rescued from the clutches of her father's men, went straight to the man who had saved not only her life or her heart but her very soul. "Angel?"

The room spun as she struggled to sit up. As the scenery around her slowly came into focus, she realized that it was not a simple room she was in but rather some kind of holding cell. Oh, great, she mumbled, her dry tongue and sore throat failing to speak the words aloud.

She pressed a hand to her throbbing head as her mind flashed back to the last time she had been in a holding cell. The Council had been behind her, and the others', imprisonment at that time. Were they also behind this? They had seemed to be behind the attack until they, too, had been attacked and driven into holes that led to Gods only knew where.

So many of their own had been taken, so many of those she had come to call family. Were they dead? Were they alive? Were they dying? Were they better off than them? What power had imprisoned them here, and more importantly, what did they want?

Was her father behind it? She had seen his ship back at the beach, but he had barely had any time to attack them before he'd had to fend for his own life. She looked around the holding area again. She could make out very little of the area they were being confined in, but what she could make out, from the little light that filtered in through what she presumed must be a door of some sort, looked nothing like anything her father had had before at his disposal.

"Angel?" Her throat hurt almost as badly as her head. Her whole body ached, she realized as she struggled again to move, but that didn't matter. She had to find Angel. "Angel?" She managed to push herself to her feet but lost her balance the instant she tried to take a step.

* * *

Angel was so far down in slumber that he barely heard his beloved's voice. His eyes fluttered slowly open, and he realized that he had been hanging upside down, sleeping. He dropped to the floor and followed the sounds of his beloved's voice until he found her. He caught her as she fell and pulled her up tightly against his chest. Relief flooded his soul as he realized that she had been spared. He kissed her forehead gently. "You're okay, baby. Open your eyes. I'm not sure where we're at. I just woke up. Your voice guided me to where you were."

She clung to him, thankful that he had come and relishing in the safe feeling of his strong arms. "I knew you'd come," she whispered, gazing up into his soulful eyes. She leaned up and kissed him again.

He held her gently as his eyes searched out their surroundings. "I think we're on a ship of some kind." The gentle lapping of the water beneath the flooring let him know that much. "But where we are, I have no idea."

Her father had been captaining a ship, but surely . . . Surely they had not fallen into his devious clutches? "Can you . . . Can you smell anything that . . . that, hum, might give us a clue . . . that . . . that resembles my . . . my scent?" Surely a daughter's scent would reflect her father's?

"I smell the scent of our family. I smell the scents of strangers, and I smell a smell that seems new yet old at the same time," Angel told her. "We will have to go up and investigate, find out where we are, but I don't think we're in enemy territory for there is a door open." He could see others already heading out the door. He had no trouble seeing in the dark. "Jack and Will are heading that way now," he told her. "We will go and find out where we are."

Angel had been afraid when the wall of water had come down upon them that he would lose Cordy. He had lost Lorne. He had lost Crys and her babies down a hole and could only hope that they would find each other and be safe until he could find them again. The only thing he could do with Cordelia was to hold her as tightly as he could without breaking her fragile bones. He had tried desperately to hold on to her and had thrashed the water upward until he could pull her head above the water.

He had been one of only a few who had managed to get above the water, but even as their heads had poked out of the water, he had felt something plucking them out of the water. Something had caused him to lose consciousness, and he had only now awoken when Cordelia had called him. He thanked his Goddess for protecting his beloved and for allowing them to continue being together.

He walked cautiously beside her, every sense alert and looking for trouble. If there was any, he'd find it before they spotted them. No one would ever hurt his beloved again, most especially not the father who she was so terrified of. One day, he'd make them all pay for hurting those he loved. Cordelia's father would be first, but he even planned to get that ugly, little man in the red suit for hurting his beloved sister. He would not speak that aloud for fear that something would prevent it. First he had to find out where they were, and then he had to go after his sister and the rest of his family.

She held to his hand as they walked, her fingers entwined with his and her eyes constantly darting fearfully around. Could her father be in charge of this ship? Why was there a door open if they were captives? Was it a trap? She didn't know, but she held to that that she did. She trusted in Angel, and she knew that her love would do everything he could to protect not only her but the rest of their ever-growing family. As they walked, she took note, in surprise, of the fact that the animals, too, had been taken, though the dinosaurs were gone and there seemed to be none of the ones with the thicker coats, like those Wesley had told them were wooly mammoths, and that there were strangers in the hold with them.

* * *

His kisses spurred her to consciousness, and her eyes cracked open even more slowly. His face was blurry, but still she knew the handsome features and soft, blue fur without a doubt. She raised a hand to his face and laid it on his cheek, as though the slight pressure would somehow make him be still instead of moving around so that there appeared to be three of him. "Fuzzy?" Her voice was tight and barely audible, and her throat hurt with a searing pain that came only from nearly drowning to death.

"Fuzzy, are you all ri . . . ?" He was there, holding her, his delightful yellow eyes smiling down into hers, but where was Lockheed?! "'Heed!" She had barely started to cry for her best friend when a reassuring coo met her ears and a tired, aching wing pushed against her side. She sighed with relief and reached her other hand out to reassuringly cup his beak, not needing to actually tear her eyes away from Kurt's and look at him to find his head for she knew his body nearly as well as she knew her own.

Her mind flashed back to when she had last seen them and had failed to keep them safe. She shook her head miserably, mentally giving herself the largest kick she could manage. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her weak voice barely audible.

"For vhat, lebchien?" Kurt asked, his voice croaking. "Oh, for some drinking vater!" He knew Kitty's throat hurt as badly as his did. What was it about drowning that made your tongue swell up and your throat hurt like Hell? he wondered. The only water he had available was holy water, and he'd be damned if he was going to drink that!

He looked around their surroundings. He was not surprised to see that only some of the animals remained. He knew Who had been coming, and he had known that they would be doomed but Some One had come to their rescue. He was not surprised at the manner They had used or that They had taken the others to safety but wondered Who had dared to intervene against Him.

The entire time Kurt had been looking around, Kitty had been babbling as she had tried to explain why she had failed them and why she had been unable to control her emotions in their last minutes. Lockheed understood and hugged her leg reassuringly, cooing softly up to her. She stroked his head but still pleaded with Kurt to understand.

He gazed adoringly into Kitty's eyes, startled at the tears he saw therein. "Vhat a strange sensation," he mused to her, and she wondered what in the world he was talking about. "Do not blame yourself for you did your very best. You are ze reason ve still live. Mein bamf vas no good for us for zere vas novhere solid left. Zere would've been nothing for us to stand on except for floating pieces of ship." His hand gently cupped her chin. "You saved us, mein Katzchen. How vonderful you are!" He pressed his parched lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

He felt 'Heed flutter and patted the small dragon gently. He was glad he lived. He was glad they all lived! He would give a special thanks as soon as he found out which God or Gods had saved them from Him for he knew that His wrath had been terrible and that only One was greater than Him. If that One had come as well, it would've been the end of the world. Some One had taken pity upon them and had brought them safely thus far, but until he knew Who Kurt would not give thanks.

* * *

Katrina's hauntingly mournful meow bespoke a question whose answer was so painful that Tom, for the first time in a very, very long time, looked away from his love. His orange tail tucked between his legs, and his head hung. He didn't have the heart to answer her, but he knew she knew the answer as well as he did for they had both been sniffing the air for their beloved King's royal scent since they had found Celina and neither of them had managed to pick up so much as the slightest whiff.

Tom's heart sank past his boots. He had failed her. When his beloved wife had needed him the most, he had failed her. He had failed to save His Majesty, and the fact that they'd believed him dead only to have him miraculously returned to them and then turned around and lost him again only multiplied their pain by a thousand fold. Even worse, he had failed to save Morph, his best friend, Katrina's brother-in-law, and Celina's soul mate. Without her husband, Celina would eventually perish of a broken heart and grieving soul, and to take her little sister away from her would surely hurt his wife even more than his own death. If only he could have given his own life to save Morph's, or Meesy's for that matter, Tom would have gladly done so.

As it was, he had no answers to give and was not worthy of attempting to protect Katrina or her sister when he had failed them both so piteously. If only he'd had his shapeshifting abilities, he would have kicked his own tail, but then again, if he'd been able to change his shape, Tom argued despairingly, none of this would have come to pass in the first place! He would have protected them all, but as it was, he'd let them all down. He'd led them all to a sure death.

His head hung. Tears welled in his eyes, but he forced them down. Crying would not get any of them anywhere useful. While there was still life left in his lowly hide, he'd do everything he could to protect Katrina and Celina. At the very least, his lady love and her sister deserved to be able to perish in their own natural forms whether than the four-legged forms they were currently stuck in.

He turned to Celina's unconscious body and gathered her wordlessly up into his arms as best he could. Then he turned again in the direction they'd left Sebastian and the cubs in. He still dared not speak nor look at his beloved wife and knew he did not deserve to do either, but he paused nonetheless to make sure she was following him.

Following him. The tip of his striped tail jerked, and he scoffed bitterly in the back of his throat. Following _him_!?! As though the Royal Princess and rightful Queen of Alderberan should ever need follow any one, let alone a mere, lowly peasant who couldn't manage to save the ones he loved the most!

* * *

Katrina knew Tom was kicking his butt, and as usual, for no reason. He was the strongest, bravest, and most wonderful Knight she had ever known. She loved her husband dearly and hated it when he kicked his own hide. As he laid Celina down next to Sebastian and the cubs, Katrina moved up and stood beside her beloved. She rubbed her furry cheek against his and purred.

"Stop doing that please, Tom. You have never let any one down. You have done your very best to stand by this family and protect us. Stop thinking of yourself as a peasant," she almost hissed the word, "for you are the Prince of my heart. Grandmama would have been very proud of you this day, as I am. We'll get them back," Katrina told Tom. "It's not your fault that you lost either of them."

She wished her sister would wake. She was worried about her, but until they could find the way to break the curse that bound them in the cat bodies, she would not be able to have her healing powers so that she could heal her sister. "When we get somewhere safe, we will get Phillip to show us where they are and we will go get them. Do not worry, my love. Stand tall for you have done me proud this day." Her furry cat lips kissed his gently, and she purred his name.

Her words sprang the tears to the front of Tom's eyes, but he bowed his head in honor to her. His hand went instinctively for his feathered cap, but it was long gone and so instead he dipped his empty-handed arm underneath him as he bowed to her. "As my lady wishes, so I shall do until my dying breath, but . . . " His voice trailed off. His lips pursed together. Dare he ask her? Dare he question her? The last thing he wanted to do was to upset her any further.

"Are you . . . " His eyes rose slowly to meet hers. "Are you sure?" he asked, and for just a second, the face of the little boy within his heart flashed across the man's face. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to be brave. He knew she needed him to be both, but he also needed to know that she truly believed what she was telling him and that it wasn't just false hopes. After all, Meesy had become like a father figure to him, as well, and Morph might have been Celina's husband and Katrina's brother-in-law but he was also the brother and best male friend Tom had never had.

"We will find them, my love. We will not stop searching for them until we find them. I know, in my heart, they're not dead. For some strange reason, I feel King Meesy quite close yet I do not see or smell him here. How can that be?"

How she wished that she could feel Tom's arms around her as he sometimes held her in human form and feel her head laying against his chest so close that she could hear his heartbeat! "Your fine hat does not make the man, but I will get you another one. It does look quite handsome on you. It just lets the world know what a fine, brave fellow you are. You are the King of my heart and a very important part of our family!" She rubbed her nose against his. "Mrrow," she purred huskily, trying to make him feel every bit of the love she felt.

Her words made his heart soar with hope he'd thought never to feel again, and her purr sent delicious shivers sweeping through him and ruffling his orange fur. His arms reached out and wrapped tightly around her slender form, but he was careful not to hurt her and to keep his touch gentle. "Katrina, love?" When she murmured against him, he asked her, "Do you know what really looks great on me?"

"What's that, my darling?" she purred.

"You!" He picked her up, twirled her around as though they were Spring kittens in love again, and brought her down to his lips.

Ah! She relished in his kiss. His love gave her wings to soar, and she never wanted to come back down to the Earth again.

* * *

He grasped the soft pillow firmly and pulled it under his head. He was having a nightmare again, and only the pillow was making him feel safely anchored to the earth. He couldn't find him. He had been searching everywhere, and then he had saw _him_ and his blood had ran cold. The man he hated more than any other in the world was staring holes in him. He laughed diabolically. "I've already got your precious love," he told him, and the brown-haired boy's heart broke as he saw his beloved laying dead upon the floor. He raced forward, his hands extended, grasping for the evil being's throat.

Just as he felt his hands go around his throat and begin to choke him, he felt himself falling. The fall jerked him abruptly awake, and he found that the pillow had fallen upon his face. He pulled the pillow beneath his head again and attempted to continue sleeping. He wanted to kill the evil bastard, but the only way he could reach him was in his sleep.

A disgruntled "_Woof!_" met his ears. The pillow had suddenly come to life, and where it had been downy soft before was now sticking straight out as though it was a bristly porcupine! A warning spit was immediately followed by a clawing action through the air where the boy's face had been mere seconds before, but his quick reflexes saved him from being scratched in the face.

Dean stared at the angry, hissing cat that was before him. "Where the Hell did you come from?!" he demanded. Wolfie barked and then growled. "Hey, that can't be right!" Dean told him. "You're a cat, not a dog!" Again, he got a bark and a swiping of the claw. He scuttled backwards on all fours until his back reached the wall. Wolfie gazed disdainfully at him and, with tail arched proudly, stalked off to find his family. Just as quickly, Dean recovered himself and went in search of Sam.

He prayed his brother was all right and wondered where he could possibly be hiding that he had not woken up in his arms. He knew Sammy would laugh at him and not believe him when he told him of the cat who barked like a dog, but he'd never tell him of his awful nightmare of John Winchester laughing and standing over Sam's lifeless body. That would be just one more nightmare that Dean would hold in his heart and shelter Sammy from.

He feared that, deep down, somewhere in Sammy's heart, the boy still sheltered a spark of love for his father. He hoped that his father would accept him and Dean again as they truly were, but Dean knew better. The only thing that would ever stop John Winchester would be the time when Dean faced him and actually held his life in his hands. Dean balled his fists in a tight clench, imagining his father's life held in the balance. Anger flashed across his face, and then his eyes met Sammy's form. Carefully erasing the anger from his face, he hurried after his brother.

* * *

"Excuse me? Ma'am?" He braced himself as the man and woman turned toward him, a little more than half expecting them to fly into him at any moment. He tipped his hat respectfully and smiled reassuringly at them. "Might I be o' some assistance?"

Trina looked up at the dark-skinned man through blue eyes clouded with worry and fear. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. "Are you a . . . doctor?" she managed.

"Nah. I got a lot o' learnin'," he admitted, "but there ain't no darkie doctors. I'm real good at patching people up, though, and I'd be happy to take a look at your friend there if ya'd let me."

Trina nodded through the lump in her throat and moved aside to let the man see what he might be able to do to help Carlos. Her mind turned back to just before the flood. Carlos had barely awoken then, but he'd already been in such bad shape. What had drowning done to him? He was alive, she knew, but his pulse was very weak. Where was Hank, she wondered, and why now, of all times, did Sparrow's healers have to be out of commission?

She turned sad eyes to Andrew, who she had backed up against, but knew he didn't have any real answers. She fully expected him to tell her to pray about it, but she already had. Not only did prayers not seem to be doing any good, but had not the Gods abandoned them just before the attack? They were on their own, but he'd never believe that.

How in the world, she wondered, had she managed to fall in love with a man who was even more devoutly religious than her own father? For a moment, her mother's words ran through her mind. How many times had she warned Trina that she'd fall for a man like her father?

Andrew might have been like her father, Trina reminded herself, in his stubborn religious beliefs and his capacity to love all mankind, but he was infinitely more than that. His courage knew no bounds for he'd even stood up to God in his struggle to return to her. He was sweet, and though he constantly talked of his faith, it was hardly ever Hell and brimstone but most often of love or of his God's wicked, warped humor. Warped and wicked certainly described Him, Trina thought, for what other God could let them fall into such a mess? What other God would give her back the man she loved with one hand and then steal away her brother and their best friend with the other? She fought against the tears that rose in her blue eyes.

Andrew looked on helplessly as Carlos seemed to be fading. He was angry. He had thought He was coming to help them, and instead He had almost drowned them! Just like Your Brother, he thought. Dry sense of humor. Sometimes, he thought the Gods were just like little children, causing mischief. They'd reward you with one hand while Their other hand was behind Their back, full of something They were about to hit you with and you were never, ever prepared enough to keep from getting hit with whatever They had to throw at you.

He wished He had left him any of his powers. The only one he had had left was the green thumb, and it really wasn't any help. He had created an entire masterpiece garden, and now she would never even get to see it for it had been totally destroyed at the time of the flood. Alas, there was nothing left of that beautiful island! He hoped that He had saved the wild and prehistoric animals.

He had actually done more than what Andrew had hoped for, because He had saved them in a vessel that only Andrew would know what it was without having seen the outside. The vessel had not surprised him. They had been kept hidden for centuries. In fact, although they had been searched for, no human had ever actually found one of them, and now here he was, with his family, inside one. He reached out and stroked Carlos' fevered brow, wishing he had the power of healing.

He wanted to tell Trina that he'd go after Trent. He didn't think the boy was dead, but he knew that if he told her, he'd never get the chance. Phillip could show him, and he could go after him if he could only get Trina more interested in saving Carlos than her brother. Carlos' fevered brow burned his hand. How had infection set up so quickly in the boy's body?

He wanted to pray, but he didn't know which God to pray to. Was it the All Mighty One, who had caused their latest misfortunes, or His Brother, who had supposedly saved them? Not knowing caused Andrew not to pray to either of Them. For the first time in his life, he was without a God. He felt anchorless. Then he looked into Trina's eyes and knew that she was his anchor. He moved out of the doctor's way and stood just behind Trina, allowing her room to get next to Carlos. Soon, he told himself, I'll search for Trent, and she will never know.

* * *

Salem stirred slowly to consciousness but did not yet open his eyes. Instead, he laid in gentle hands, his ears and nose straining to make the most of the situation around him before he allowed his consciousness to be known. A woman held him, but she wasn't Faith. Her scent surprised him so that his limp body nearly slipped out of her hands. It was Emma Frost, and she was actually holding him gently!

Knowing she knew he was awake, Salem yawned and cracked his green eyes open even as she was telling him that she knew he was awake. He smiled up at her but then looked at Sean and felt the air crackling between them with intense emotions, emotions that were not loving emotions but were nonetheless so intense that the air practically sizzled and snapped with them. He looked worriedly between the loving couple. "What happened?"

"You tell us," Emma returned. "Are you trapped in this cat form?"

Salem's mouth fell open.

"I remember ye sent me on a mission, an' I was almost caught. I fell into a river, an' I almost drowned. I din't get what ye sent me after. There were too many o' 'em guardin' it. They shot me." Sean looked at his shoulder, but there was no bullet hole. "I must've dreamed that they shot me." He expected Emma to start laughing at him, and he thought to himself, Only an idiot would think they'd been shot when they hadn't! "When they shot me, I fell into th' water."

Emma looked at Sean dubiously, a smirk upon her unusually unpainted lips. "Whatever it was, Salem, you should have asked me. I would not have come back empty-handed." She looked down into the cat's face and saw confusion and fear. "What is it?" she asked, her own forehead creasing in confusion.

"Sean, that mission was a long time ago," Salem spoke in a soft, deep voice, "a very, very, _very_ long time ago, and I have been a cat," his gaze flicked between both of them, "for over _two hundred years_."

Emma's blue eyes went wide, and her hands almost dropped Salem. "You are both _insane_!"

"Am I?" Salem returned, but then he smiled sadly. "Yes, I am insane. I have been for even longer than I have been a cat. No sane individual could think they could conquer the world, but I speak the truth."

Sean looked at Salem in shock and amazement. "_Over two hundred years ago?! What's happened tae me, Salem, an' who th' Devil is she?!_ She's like an Angel one minute an' a Demon th' next! She hates me! Why? Why can't I remember?!" He sat cross-legged beside Salem and buried his face in his hands, racking his brain and trying to remember, but it was as though it was a wide and empty road that led off into the darkness with no light anywhere.

If he had been less a man, he would have cried. He felt so discouraged and lost. The one being in his whole world that had meant stability, saneness, and home now was declaring that he had been insane the whole time! What did that make Sean, an idiot for following an insane man?! Yet everything that Sean could remember, he did not regret. For no other man or cat had the presence that Salem commanded and none had ever been as caring. "It does nae matter whether ye're insane or nae, I will follow ye anywhere, but please get this Demoness off me back."

Salem's furry lips turned into a wry grin as he struggled to keep from chuckling. He reached down and placed a gentle, ebony paw upon Sean's knee. "Do not worry, my son. All will turn right, and she's not a Demoness. Sean, this is Emma Frost. Emma, Sean. You are both mutants and much more alike than you realize. You . . . " He took a deep breath and looked from one to the other and then back again to Sean. "You are married."

"_**WHAT!?!M**_" Emma screeched. She jumped to her feet, dropping Salem as she did so.

He twisted in the air and landed smoothly on his paws. He looked up at Emma, his green eyes meeting her baby blues. "I understand your confusion, my dear, and your disbelief. Read my mind if you doubt me."

Emma narrowed her eyes at Salem and proceeded to do just that.

Sean's mouth fell open in an "o", and shock showed plainly on his face. How could he be _married_ to . . . _her_, of all people?! He had noticed the ring she wore before. Now he looked at it more closely and recognized it as one that came from his family. It was a family heirloom. He wore the matching ring on his third finger on his left hand. He gazed down at it even as Emma read Salem's mind. "We're married," he repeated, wondering what could have ever possessed him to do such a _stupid_ thing as to marry a woman who could mindwipe him in seconds! Why couldn't he remember what had happened?!

* * *

Blue eyes snapped open as the man felt some one feeling of his vitals. He rolled swiftly away from him and looked up at the stranger in the dark. The other man was long, tall, and lean, and for the moment at least, he didn't recognize him. "Who are you?! Where am I?!" Despite his best intentions to make his tone harsh, forcible, and leaving no room for questioning or argument, his voice came out barely above a whisper.

"It's all right." The voice that answered him was calm and gentle. "I'm a friend. Name's Vin Tanner."

He eyed him warily, not yet connecting the name with a face. He spun through the files he kept in his mind, trying to locate the supposed friend's identity. Then, slowly, he relaxed. He didn't smile for he no longer had the ability left in him, not after losing every one he'd lived for for so long. "I wish I could say it was good to see you."

Vin cocked his head to one side, studying the bald man before him before recalling him. He grinned. "It's been a while, Luthor."

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say too long," Lex agreed.

"Mind if I ask Who y'all pissed off back there?"

"I'm not completely certain," he admitted, "though I have my suspicions."

Vin nodded, knowing further questioning could wait for now, at least until they'd located their respectful families. "'Fraid I ain't seen Clark."

Lex's face fell, and his heart once more felt dead in his chest. "You're not going to." His hands clenched into fists so tight that his dull fingernails bit into the tender flesh of his palms. The bastards would pay! He'd kill them all, and only then would he join his beloved on the other side!

* * *

She had slept through the screams, her nightmares once more having gained control over her, but the abrupt rattle of gunfire shattered her dreams and sent her flipping to her feet. Her blue eyes cast quickly around in search of weapons and her partner. Her sword and chakram were nowhere to be seen, but a strange new weapon lay on the deck on one side of where she had just been sleeping. On the other, Gabrielle was frantically scrambling to.

"Stay here," Xena warned her love as she stepped on the end of the trident. It flipped up. She grabbed its handle and broke into a run for the open doorway where others were already gathering.

Why did she always tell her to remain behind?! Gabrielle wondered. Why couldn't she get part of the action too?! She was trained now; it wasn't like when she had just got started! She should be by Xena's side, supporting her love, doing her part of the fighting. It wasn't like she had never killed anybody before, Gabrielle told herself.

"I'll be damned if I'm staying here!" She got up and raced behind Xena, hunting for any kind of weapon she could find on the way. She did not let her partner know she was coming. She was tired of being treated like a little girl, and she knew that if Xena knew she was coming, she'd only send her back.

In fact, Gabrielle was so intent upon catching up with Xena that she did not see the two men who she crashed into until it was too late to stop. Untangling herself from them, she gave them both a big hug. "Hurry! We must go after Xena! She's gone to fight alone, and she will need our help!"

Toly looked at Joxer, and Joxer looked at Autolycus. They both shook their heads. "How about we just stay here and wait for Xena to return?" Toly began to ask Gabrielle only to be tugged roughly ahead as Gabby continued to run after Xena. She dropped Toly's hand and raced on without him only to have Joxer and Toly both hurrying to catch up. Joxer began to hum his famous battle cry.

* * *

She had lain there, watching the other native girl, while others had ran about. She'd taken little notice of anything else around her until her best friend's wildly chattering mouth caught her attention. She jumped to alert, her brown eyes turning immediately to the frenzy bundle of fighting, clawing, spitting, and general cain-raising fur that rolled across the floor. Her head tilted to one side as she studied her best friend's battle against the dog who thought he was something the white men called a Knight and listened to the furious words they exchanged. Her brown eyes grew so round that they nearly popped from her head as she learned that the foolish dog had dared to try to ride Reeko!

"Reeko!" she called to him. The raccoon paused for a moment, sitting up on his hind haunches on top of the dog. She smiled at him as she spoke to him in her native language. Reeko shook his head at her question and instantly resumed pounding the dog Knight. Dove shook her head and silently promised that she'd only give him a minute or two more to teach the dog his manners. None of the three saw the man dressed in white with spiked blonde hair until the fighters had rolled directly into him and knocked him to the floor.

Dove sprang to her feet. "REEKO!" It was at that moment that shots rang out.

* * *

"My stars and garters!" a startled voice cried from the roof as the women attacked each other. Sam looked up even as the shorter man who'd been standing beside him ran pass him and out toward the front of the fight like a fool. Sam's Adam's apple bobbed so wildly in his throat that it almost threatened to burst forth with a life of its own. His eyes shot as wide as dinner plates, but no sound would break free from his mouth as he stared up at the large, blue-furred Demon who hung upside down. He backed up hurriedly, bumping into the man with the hook who the shorter man had ran out in front of and knocked backwards.

"_Boi!_" James called out. He grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck. "Leave the fighting to us men!" He snatched the boy roughly to the side even as he heard Kat mutter a retort in Gaelic.

The fireballs melted the bullets, but the female stranger flipped high into the air before the fireballs could connect with her guns. They spiraled on into the night. The stranger landed on her feet as a new attack came. Her partner grabbed her and rolled with her out of the way of the beam that shot forth from the trident. Urian snatched his hands back from the weapon as though he had been burned, but Janeesa kept her grip on it and kept it aimed for a second blow. The strangers rolled apart, each now holding one of the big guns.

As the strangers leveled their guns at the Pirates, a figure flew through the air. The bundle of hissing, yowling fur landed on the big man's head and immediately proceeded scratching and biting him with all the fangs and claws it possessed. The man yelled, screamed, and began running in circles as he desperately tried to remove the cat from his head.

A blonde man forced his way through the gathering in the doorway. He nodded at the big, white-haired man who now had blood pouring down his face from the being that was ripping mercilessly into his head. "Cable, nice hat." His dark eyes glanced from the small cluster of Pirates to the strangers they fought. "Good o' ya to beat the crap out o' each other so I ain't gotta." His eyes turned toward the city as he inhaled deeply. "Tortuga." Spike nodded once, then began to make his way back into the ship even as he was bombarded with questions.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**Tortuga**

Xena arrived at the same time Jack, Will, and others were rushing to the doorway and Spike was rather huffingly making his way in. He waved the pestering humans away, wishing for a dry cigarette and cursing under his breath. Every one of them was bombarding him with questions, and he had no time for any of them. "ANGEL," he yelled toward where he could see his sire and his lover making their way toward the door, "WE'RE IN TORTUGA. I'M GOING TO OLA'S!" Perhaps she would have an answer.

Kyna had always told him to look to two women for help if he ever hit upon a problem he couldn't handle and she wasn't around to help. One was now standing tall with her blue eyes squinted and observing him like he was a bug under a microscope and she was Beast, whose movements he felt as the Scientist swung down to stand behind him. Despite Xena's look and her obvious desire to go running into battle, he knew she had no more answers than he did.

The other was Doctor Ola LaBelle, and he would have prayed that she could work some miracle for him if there had been a single God or Goddess who he still had faith in. The Gods were only good for one thing, however, and that was for using those who were beneath Them. He had fallen under One's spell just long enough to make him wish he never had. He had done it then for his beloved Kyna, but he'd be damned if he'd ever do it again.

His simple call to Angel had set even more questions buzzing, and he growled as another face loomed into his. This one spoke swift Spanish, but though he easily understood every word the woman spoke and could have answered her just as easily in her own language, he was determined not to waste even one more second. He turned, shoved Theodora and Kat out of his way, and was met with Delvira bouncing a fireball up and down in her pale palm.

The Vampires' dark gazes met, and Delvira firmly informed Spike, "You'll answer me this, Spike, and then you can go." She turned toward the white-haired, muscle-bound man he had called Cable and the stranger's companion. "Do I roast him or not?"

Spike growled, and his eyes and fangs flashed as thunder rumbled in the near distance. "I don't give a damn -- " He paused and looked at the two whose lives were in question. The Himalayan cat named Meesy, who he had heard whispers about being some kind of King, sat perched on top of Cable's head, looking as dignified and royal as though the man's head had been a throne. Cable must have already learned not to try to swat at the cat for his hands were torn, bleeding, and balled into fists by his side.

He knew very little of Cable and cared even less for him, but Cable's woman, the mysterious Domino, was an alley of Kyna's. He sighed in frustration and looked at Delvira, Domino, and Cable. "Don't waste 'em." Then he was gone, like a flash, into the night, leaving people shouting in his wake and demanding answers.

Xena turned to face Jack. She admired the man and liked and cared for him as a friend, but now that she had her memories back, he was no longer her Captain. She'd have to take care in explaining that, but that was for later. "Has any one seen Phillip? Did he make it in tact?"

Cable brushed pass Delvira, yelling at the top of his lungs for Rachel, but the Vampiress ignored him now and turned her attention instead to a battle of teeth, fur, and claws. A young native girl was standing to the side, desperately yelling at a being called Reeko who could only be the raccoon in a language even Delvira did not recognize. Her black eyes flashed when she realized that the two were now fighting on top of Jareth. Fire sparked from her fingertips, but as she pulled her arm back to let go of the flames, a tanned hand grabbed her pale wrist. Delvira growled and looked into the fiery eyes of Kat, whose own fireball was reflected in her eyes. "Nae one harms an animal when I'm 'round," she warned in an angry hiss that reminded Delvira of a cat, "fer any reason."

Xena looked at the two women and shook her head in disgust. "Ladies, stand down." She marched over to where the two animals were battling seemingly for their lives, reached into the scuffle at amazing speed, and plucked Reeko and Didymus apart by the scruffs of their necks. She threw Reeko at the native girl and Didymus at Kat. As both women caught the animals, Delvira rushed to her husband. Xena stepped smoothly aside and looked at Jack. "Jack, Phillip . . . ?"

Jack had been very busily watching everything that was going on. It was happening much too fast for him to take everything in. His brain was exhausted. He realized that Spike was gone off into the night, and he knew where Spike was gone. How many times had he pulled Brendan out of the same place? He only hoped that Spike was not trying to come up with some kind of weapon to do himself in.

He raked his brain now, trying to remember where he had last seen Phillip. "Lex," Jack returned to Xena's question. "Lex had him last." He looked down to where Jareth sat on the floor, still dazed from being run over by animals, and he knew Jareth was feeling about as tired as he was. He leaned down and offered the man a hand. Jareth took it gladly and was just in time to open his arms to Delvira as she plowed into him. He squeezed her gently. "Tortuga?" Jareth asked. "I did hear him say Tortuga?"

"Unfortunately," Angel told him as he came closer, "but I guess it's as good a place as any for us to hole up in."

"TORTUGA?!" an excited voice yelled from the left hand side of the room. Derek looked at Hansel with a big grin. "You reckon the inn's big enough to hold everybody?"

Chong looked at Derek in confusion. "I thought you sold that thing?"

"No way, man! It's been in the family too long! We just changed the name." Derek and Hansel exchanged wide grins at that.

* * *

JD sighed and turned around to peer back into the ship. He saw no sign of Buck, but he could barely make out the flapping serape Josiah wore. There was a gathering around him, and JD figured Buck might be part of that group. They were moving slowly, as though they were searching for some one, and JD wondered fleetingly who they were looking for. He knew it couldn't be him for Buck was happy now that he was back with the one he truly loved again. The kid sighed and was unaware of the sympathetic glances the soft sound of his breaking heart brought to him. Tortuga was as good a place as any to lose himself in. He slipped toward the open door.

Sam watched the younger man and edged toward him. "Where are you going?" he whispered, hoping not to draw any one else's attention. "We don't know what's out there." But something was out there, Sam was sure of that. He could feel it in bones. "We need to stick together."

JD kept moving as though he hadn't heard him until a familiar hand reached out and grasped his shoulder. "Kid, where you reckon on goin'?"

JD gulped, turned slowly, and looked hesitantly up into the blue eyes of Vin Tanner. "I . . . I just wanted to get a look around, Vin."

"That can wait. Right now, we need to find the others."

JD hadn't the heart to tell him that whereas they might need the others, the others didn't need them. He sighed and resigned himself to stay put, but Vin didn't lift his hand even as his attention turned back to Lex and the question he'd prosed as they'd come up just in time to hear Jack Sparrow telling an armored woman that Lex had had some one last. Lex was now explaining that he'd had hold of some one by the name of Phillip before they had been drowned and that he had no idea where he was now.

Jack was worried. If Lex didn't have Phillip, where was Phillip? Would Phillip answer if he was called? Only one way to find out, Jack told himself and began to call loudly, "PHILLIP?!" Xena and Lex turned from Jack as each began their own searches for the enchanted mirror. Jack and Will moved together in another direction, each taking turns calling Phillip.

* * *

Hansel looked at Derek with a grin whose size surprised him. It was good to be home again. "I bet it can!" He heard some one sniffing and turned his blue eyes just in time to see a cat walking pass. The feline who appeared to only be a common, albeit pedigreed, housecat was followed by a tiger and a cheetah, and the blonde shook his head. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to all the wild animals that were an ever growing part of their family.

"Then shall we invite our new family to our home?" Derek asked. "We should tell the Captain," he said at Hansel's agreeing nod.

Chong almost felt left out of the conversation but was determined to be included in all happenings concerning Hansel. He wondered what private joke the two shared and when the inn had become so important to them as both had been loathe to take it in the beginning, or so he had heard. Even after splitting with Hansel, Chong had done his best to keep tabs on him. He had seen him around in Tortuga before, but Hansel had not seen him. He had made as certain of that as he would from this day forward make certain that he was a steady part of Hansel's life. He turned to follow the two, telling himself he'd have to make doubly certain that he did not grant Derek even a second alone with Hansel in the home he shared with his beloved. There was no way Derek was going to win over _his_ Hansel!

* * *

Tom had barely been pondering the best action to take now that they knew where they were when a familiar scent met his nose and made his face light up. He gripped Katrina tighter as he whirled around, his face lit up like a kitten's on the Winter Solstice. "_Meesy!!!_" he almost squealed.

Meesy, who had been picking his way carefully along the large gathering of Pirates, meowed his joy and raced toward his children. He leapt into a rather undignified position in their arms, but at the moment, he didn't care how dignified he appeared or didn't appear. That didn't matter. What did matter was that his family had made it! They were all right, and he'd never let anything part them again!

Katrina stared in fright at Meesy's blood-spattered paws. "Your Majesty! You're . . . hurt?!" she meowed to him. Oh, how could Bast curse her so that she might not be able to use her healing powers to heal her beloved King!? What did she _ever_ do that was so awful that Bast would do this to her?! Gabrielle, the name shifted through her wee brain, and she looked around hopefully for the healer. Maybe she could help the King?

Meesy leaned out over Tom's short arms and lovingly and reassuringly nuzzled Katrina's face. A deep purr rumbled forth from him, stirring the one remaining sleeper toward consciousness. "I am fine, my dear. The blood is not mine."

"Who dared attack you?!" Tom demanded, his tail cutting through the air like a dagger.

"None. I attacked him in defense of our family," Meesy answered with a distinct air of pride and a mischievous grin and sparkle in his blue eyes.

Katrina used her paw to cover the smile that flitted across her lips as she saw Cable and heard him muttering. Only the King would attack something that much bigger than himself with no thought to his royal personage and come away victorious! He was truly a mighty King! She kissed his paw and gave him a gentle lick.

* * *

Janeesa hugged Urian as strongly as she could. He had been brave and jumped to her defense, even though it had turned out not to be an enemy who was attacking. She did not know how to tell him about the weapon her Father had left him. She wondered if she should just let him find out for himself but then knew that could be a very dangerous thing. He might get hurt trying to use it. She looked to where her sister had been and knew that Tessa had gone to be with Ray. She made her mind up that she would wait until Rian said something about the trident before she told him more about it.

* * *

Tessa reached Ray only seconds before Cable reached his sister. She could tell by the look on Ray's face that Ray was not wanting to see Cable. "I'll watch your mother," she told her. "He is your brother. Give him a chance. Go and talk to him." She smiled reassuringly at Ray.

Rachel was warring within herself to control her emotions, and she had no time to answer Tessa as Cable approached. She was surprised to hear a much welcome voice speak up nearby. "You want me to handle him, Ray?"

Rachel looked to where Kitty stood with Kurt's arms around her and Lockheed perched atop her shoulder. Both woman and dragon glared angrily at Cable, and Rachel realized, from the slowly dissipating cloud of black smoke, that Kurt had actually bamfed them to her. "No," the redhead spoke softly, shaking her head, "Tessa's right, Kitty. He's my brother." She stood to meet him, her arms folding across her chest as she stepped away from her unconscious mother. "I can handle his lard arse."

Kurt moved away from Kitty, allowing her space in case she needed to fight. He knew she was a much better fighter than him, and he didn't like this Cable guy one little bit. He might be Ray's brother, but he might be more than what any of them bargained for. He might have come to hurt his sister. If so, Kurt would simply bamf Ray out of there and let Kitty handle him.

Tessa squeezed Ray's arm gently, moved around her love, and went to kneel by her mother.

Rachel faced Cable with anger flaring in her green eyes. "You know, Tessa, normally I'd say you were completely right, but in this jackass' case," she held her head up higher and looked Cable square in the eyes, "I've given him far too many chances."

Cable's muscular arms were wide open as he approached. He was aching to hug his sister, but he found he could not get within more than three steps of her! "Ray," he pleaded, knowing she'd put up a telekinetic barrier.

"_Don't Ray me, you bastard! Where were you when I needed you?! Where were you when they were __**beating**__ me to within an __**inch**__ of my __**life**__ every __**damn**__ day I was in that __**Hell**_"

Tessa did not mean to eavesdrop. She was trying to tune them out, but her mindlink wouldn't let her. When Ray mentioned that she had been tortured to within an inch of her life, it was the first time Tessa had heard about it. She seethed inwardly and looked angrily at Ray's brother. Had he been the one who had been beating her?! If he was, she'd send him to Daddy! Push him overboard and let the filthy thing drown! She listened, despite herself.

"You were always around before, but when I needed you the most, you were _nowhere_ to be found! What was _so_ much more _important_ than your _sister_? What did Father pay you off with, or did you finally just develop as _black_ a heart as he's renowned for?!"

"I . . . " Cable hung his head for a brief second. "I guess I deserve that." He shook his head. "But . . . But you don't understand!"

"Oh, I understand perfectly!" Rachel hissed. "I understand you left me to rot in a Hell worse than I'd ever imagined! You could've come, Cable! You _should have_!"

"What about her?" Cable demanded, swinging a pointing finger at Kitty, who bristled immediately and looked like a panther about to spring into attack.

"Don't," Rachel told her, holding up a hand meant to signal her to stop. "He's not worth it, and _don't_ try shifting the blame, Nathan! That's the _lowest_ trick in the book! Kitty didn't know. She's not a telepath. She _tried_ looking for me, but she couldn't find me! She couldn't find _you_ either; I guess because you were _too far stuck up in Father's arse_!!"

"That's not _fair_, Rachel!"

"_Life's_ not fair!"

"You don't _understand_!"

"You already _said_ that!"

"And I meant it, _damn it_! Dad _imprisoned_ me! He imprisoned my _whole crew_ and meant to have us _hung_!"

Rachel stopped and stared at her brother. A long moment ticked by as Tessa and Kitty both edged closer to Ray. Their hands reached out and touched her shoulders, and it was everything Rachel could do not to turn into the reassuring embraces she knew they offered. "What?"

"He imprisoned us _all_, Ray! That's why I couldn't do anything!"

"But you . . . you could've broken out."

"He used some kind of magick device to block our powers. Collars . . . "

Rachel winced. She knew those instruments all too well. "But he . . . He _didn't_ . . . " She looked up into her big brother's eyes, and her barrier fell away as tears welled in her eyes. "Did he?"

"No," Nathan tried failingly to reassure her, "but . . . "

"But what?" Rachel asked. "Nate, where are the others? Why are only you and Dom here?"

"I split some of them, sent 'em out looking for you when we finally got free."

"How'd you get free if you couldn't use your powers and he could?"

"Mom. What . . . " He looked behind the women to his mother's still and pale body. "What happened to her?"

"She . . . She went a bit crazy."

"He sent her over the deep end."

"Not quite. More like that and her powers finally getting the better of her. But how did she . . . ?"

"The night she took the Black Pearl, she freed us moments before her departure."

"To make for a distraction so that she could get away, but . . . But why leave you behind?"

"I don't know. She . . . She seemed different. She wasn't the same. I . . . " Chills swept through him at the memories, and had he been any lesser of a man, he would have trembled or perhaps even cried. "I couldn't find her _mind_! There was something _evil_ in there!"

Rachel shook her head slowly. It was all too much too soon, but . . . What of the others? What of her brother's crew, people who, like Kitty's first crew, had become good friends to her? "You didn't answer my question, Cable. Where are the others?"

He sighed and again shook his head. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Rictor, Shatterstar, and Julio are out looking for you. Sam's at the tavern. He's . . . rather deep in the cups right now."

Rachel gave her brother an odd look. It wasn't like young, innocent Samuel Guthrie to bury himself in alcohol, even on the worst of his nights. Something had happened. He'd tell her. She just had to wait and brace herself for it. When the silence continued, she prompted quietly, "And . . . ?"

"Risque and Feral didn't make it out of Westchester."

"Dad . . . shot them?"

"No. One of his men."

"And Tabitha?" she questioned. "Paige?"

"They're . . . I sent them out to look for you, but they . . . They didn't make it. Only Sam came back from that expedition."

There were tears in his heart and his eyes, but Rachel didn't need to see them to know they were there. Her brother's soul had become nearly as wounded as her own. She rushed into his arms, and the two held each other tightly. Her tears wet his shirt, but he refused to let a single one of his fall. He could never again afford to be weak. Their own father had taught him that all too well.

Tessa wiped a tear from her eyes. She cried for the man who was her love's brother. She felt pain from him and was surprised that she could read him so clearly now that he no longer blocked his thoughts. She turned her eyes back upon their mother and prayed that she would get well and not still be Demon-possessed for even though the woman had hurt her terribly, she knew somehow that this woman could not be completely bad, because she had two such wonderful children. She wanted to see her well and embracing her children. It made her long that much more for her own mother, who had long ago died. She was glad that Janeesa was not witnessing this. She blocked her thoughts from her sister, even as she felt Janeesa growing angry and wondered why.

Kitty shook her head slowly. Lockheed cooed quietly and rubbed against her cheek. Kitty wiped a tear first from her eye and then from Heed's. She looked next to her, wondering how these revelations had made Tessa feel about the woman she claimed to love, and found her crying. She hesitated just a moment and then reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "She's strong," she whispered.

"I know," Tessa told her, "but their pain is great. I cry not for her but for him for he will not let himself cry." She smiled through her tears at Kitty.

Kitty nodded and whispered again, keeping her voice quiet enough that she hoped Rachel and Nathan would overlook their conversation and trying not to let Tessa's words about Nathan remind her too greatly of the men she had loved and lost, men who were too much like Nate for their own good. "We just have to make sure we stand by them and don't let that damn father of theirs get anywhere close to them again or . . . " She glanced back to where Jean lay. " . . . her." They'd have their hands full with Jean, Kitty knew, but they had to free the woman of Scott while she still had a heart left to save.

Tessa nodded in agreement but didn't say anything else. She didn't know what to say. She was too choked up, but she vowed that no one would ever hurt her Ray or her brother again. At least, not any one who she had the power to stop, and if things got out of hand, she could always call for Daddy again.

Kurt's doubts filled his mind. Some One must be Up There pulling strings for them, he thought. He didn't know which One it was, but as soon as he did find out Who it was, They'd be the new God he'd pray to. He felt bereft not being able to pray right now. He put one blue hand on Kitty's shoulder and squeezed it gently, adding his own silent vows to protect this family which were now his family. He glanced sideways to look at Cable and wondered yet again how some one as small as Ray could have a brother as big and hulking as he was.

'Heed looked on and cooed at the love that was being shown in the room.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

**Tortuga**

Buck hoped that they would find JD and Vin very soon. It seemed like they had been searching for them forever, and Chris was becoming even more agitated as time went by and they had not found their respective partners. Chris had a cheroot that he was chewing noisily, and Buck knew that he wished he could light it but all his smoking supplies were wet.

Relief had flooded their hearts when they had found Nathan only to be disappointed when they'd found out, seconds later, that the one Nathan was doctoring was not JD or Vin but a complete stranger. They had left Nathan doing what he did best and hurried on, searching and praying.

It had taken several seconds before Buck realized he was praying. The last time he had seen JD, JD had been jumping to his death. He prayed that not only would he find JD but that he would be safe and sound. He never expected to look toward the opening of the vessel to find JD in Vin's arms. He backed up so quickly that he knocked into Chris, and Chris dropped his cheroot. "Damn, Bucklin! What's wrong with you?!"

Buck didn't say a word. He just stared in shock. Were they going to kiss? Vin was holding him very close, and they weren't saying anything, just looking into each other's faces. He didn't want Chris to see that! Chris would kill JD! "Huh, sorry, Chris! I . . . I thought something was on Lacey, and I thought it might've been a bug, and it startled me so badly I bumped into ya!"

"Buck, you never were a very good liar," Chris ground out, reaching in his pocket and pulling out another cheroot. "Now ya wanna tell me what's bothering ya?"

"Nothing!" Buck told him rather quickly.

Josiah had heard Buck say there was a bug on Lacey, so he stopped and looked at her back in case there really was something on her. Josiah wondered why she was so calm.

* * *

James was walking deeper into the vessel in search of Smee and his sons when he saw a group of men walking toward him and, in their midst, was his cousin, Lacey. "_**LACEY!!!**_" he screamed with joy as he ran quickly forward to greet his long lost cousin.

Buck chose this opportunity to slip away from the others and headed straight for where he had seen the two entangled, hoping that Chris would not see before he could break the two apart.

Lacey had barely realized that Josiah was finally looking at her and began to wriggle seductively when a voice that she had hoped and even prayed to hear again but had nearly given up all hope of ever doing so rang out, catching her ears and causing her to squeal in delight. "_**JAMES!!! JAMES!!!**_" She whipped her lacy handkerchief out, waved it at him briefly, and then broke into a rather unladylike run. She dropped her handkerchief along the way and nearly plowed into James, her arms wrapping tightly around him as she hugged him with everything she had in her. "JAMES! OH, JAMES, I FEARED YOU WERE DEAD!"

He patted her gently on the back and squeezed her hard. "Lacey, thank the Gods you live! I thought you were dead!" It felt good to have his beloved cousin in his arms. "Who are your . . . friends?" he asked with a raised brow, rather nervously eyeing the others. "Admirers, perhaps?" He gave her a big, mischievous grin.

* * *

Connor had been waiting rather impatiently for his family to return. He had seen Vang and Zora first and was waiting for their return to him. He saw them following behind King Meesy and knew that they would take a moment to talk to the rest of their family. He looked anxiously down at his father, Smee, and wondered how much longer he was going to be out.

It was then that he heard his father, James, squeal in delight and a female voice answer him. His blood ran cold as he turned, with a snarl on his face, just in time to see his father run into the arms of a woman. "I'll kill the bastard!" he muttered under his breath. "He will not hurt my father, Smee, again!"

He had been willing, up until this point, to believe that James was innocent of the earlier encounter, but there was no denying of what his eyes were now seeing. Just as he was about to run forward and demand of James just what the Hell he thought he was doing with a woman, he heard his father, Smee, moan. He turned his attention back to him immediately and helped him to sit up.

Smee swayed a bit as Connor helped him to a sitting position. "J-James?" Smee moaned. His throat burned so that he could barely squeak out his beloved's name. He grasped his son's hands, swept his eyes over him, made certain he was relatively unhurt, and then questioned, "Where is your father?" He should have been there protecting their son! He knew he'd heard him; it was James' voice who had called him to awaken!

Connor did his best to block his father, Smee, from seeing where his father, James, was holding the woman. "He's . . . not too far," Connor managed to choke out.

"Where?" Smee questioned again. His head pulled back, and he took another look at his son's face. "And why, young man, is your forehead out?"

"Huh?" Connor asked his father, pretending that he was all innocent and didn't know what was going on.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Zora attempted to ask as she and her father reached her beloved and his father. Her mouth had not finished demorphing yet, however, and so her words came out in the cheetah's language. She looked pass Connor, and her human mouth formed just in time to let a word slip, "Shitt!" She stopped immediately, her eyes wide as she realized her unfortunate luck and placed a furry hand over her mouth.

Vang followed his dear daughter's gaze and muttered darkly underneath his breath as his claws unsheathed and struck the floor. How dare James Hook move from one woman to another while still proclaiming his love to Smee! The man might not be physically attractive, but he was still a good man with a good head on his shoulders, immense courage, and a heart full of endless love that was all for James and their family. His tail struck the air angrily, and he stifled the roar that built within him. His future son-in-law's father deserved better!

As Smee struggled to a sitting position, Connor continued moving in his attempts to block his father's vision until Smee at last caught his wrists and drew him forcibly to the side. What he saw killed his spirit and almost his heart in one stroke. "No . . . " he breathed, tears welling in his eyes. "No, it can't be . . . " He had promised, and he had believed him!

Once Connor realized that his father, Smee, now knew what his father, James, was about, he stood and pulled his father, Smee, to his feet. "We will confront him, father! He can't exactly back out of this! We have caught him redhanded, and this time there'll be no way that he can lie his way out of this one!" He stared holes in the woman whose lacy dress he wished he could burn through and into her flesh with the heat of his gaze.

"The bastard!" Zora snarled, and Vang nodded in agreement. "We're behind you, Smee, one hundred percent! Let's go kick his bloody arse!"

Smee couldn't move. His whole body felt dead. Yet, with Connor and Zora pushing and pulling him along in the thought that they were helping him, he progressed toward James.

Connor thought, for a minute, that he would like to rip the bitch's head off and spit down her neck or perhaps pour honey on her and stake her to an anthill. For the first time, he was thankful for all the late night talks he'd had with Spike. He kept thinking of different ways to kill the bitch as he kept inching his father, Smee, toward his father, James.

* * *

As soon as Buck was within talking distance so that he might not draw attention to what was going on in the doorway, he spoke through clenched teeth in a deadly whisper, "Vin Tanner, get your hands off my man!" He'd get Vin later. Right now, he just had to get JD away from him before Chris saw what was going on. He knew Chris would blame the kid and probably shoot him dead where he stood. Vin was gonna pay for messing with his Kid!

Vin snatched his hands away from JD's shoulders as though he'd been scalded. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him then, Bucklin!"

JD's eyes shot even wider at Vin's words. How dare he tell Buck what he'd been about to do! "Tanner, don't you dare," he growled, "or I'll tell 'em that I'm not the only one been pulling pranks lately."

"Tell 'em," Vin countered back. "Better that he know so that he can stop you from making a damn stupid move!"

"Stupid move?" Buck asked, his eyes now full of doubt. Maybe he hadn't seen what he thought he had just seen? Just what had his beloved been up to? "JD?" he questioned.

JD did his best to look at anywhere other than Buck. He couldn't face him, not now that he knew the truth.

At JD's silence, Vin again turned to Buck. "He was trying to go out there!" he snapped, pointing a finger at the port that awaited them at the end of the gangplank.

Sam looked up from Dean's comforting embrace. Dean shook his head, but Sam shook his back at him. "I saw him do it," he whispered, "and if that's his partner, Dean, he deserves to know. You'd want some one to tell you if I were suicidal."

JD's angry eyes turned on the Winchester brothers, but Sam ignored the look as he cleared his throat. "He's, um . . . He's right, you know, just like I told you earlier, mate. We need to stay put until we have a better grasp on the situation. Something's wrong out there. Just look out there! There's no lights, no lanterns to be seen, not the first one! And Tortuga's usually bustling this time of the night, but no one's moving around out there that we can see."

"Mind your own business, stranger!" JD snapped.

Buck looked at Vin. "Vin, we've been looking for ya. Go let Chris know you're all right."

Vin nodded at Buck but met his eyes beneath the brim of his hat. "Don't let him out o' your sight, Bucklin." He felt like adding that whatever he had done, he'd best make it right, but the look of betrayal in JD's eyes was hitting him like a knife in his heart. "It's for your own good, JD," he tried to tell him. Then, with a shake of his head, he headed around the two and toward the others. As he walked away, however, he stole a glance back at the open door and saw red eyes peering back at him. He doubled his speed, knowing he had to get to Chris and they had to get ready.

"JD, you and me got some talking to do." Buck tried to pull JD into his arms, but the Kid struggled so mightily that he could not. "What the Hell's got into you?!" he demanded. "Why do you want to go out . . . out _there_!?!" he stuttered. Something big had jumped in the shadows, and he had seen it. He didn't know what it was for he'd never seen anything like it before.

Fear filled his heart, and his desperation was strong enough that he managed to pull JD away from the open door. "We've got to talk, love. Why did you jump? Why do you want to leave me?! Don't you know if you die, I die?! I love you, JD, and I don't want to be without you!"

"Don't try that flowery crap with me, Buck! It don't work on me like it used ta on the women!"

"Huh?" Buck recoiled like JD had slapped him. "What are you carrying on about, Kid? I'm sincere! I love you! I don't want anything to happen to you! You're my heart! I could understand it if you don't want to be with me any more. I won't hold you. You ain't gotta kill yourself just to get away from me!"

JD's fist smacked Buck's shoulder. "Don't you _dare_ make me out to be the one who's breaking us up!" There. He had said it. Buck knew he knew. "There's no use lyin', Buck! I saw you!" He still would not meet Buck's gaze, and he wished his anger would burn his tears away but knew it wouldn't and that he couldn't stop crying. He'd never been so hurt in all his centuries of living! He'd never even imagined a pain this terrible; it felt like Buck was literally ripping his heart out of his chest!

Buck lifted JD's chin, confusion showing in his eyes. "When did I do whatever it was I done?" he asked. "I haven't touched another man since I've been with you! I don't want another one! I don't want any one but you! I thought . . . maybe you didn't want me any more . . . I know I'm not that great of a lover, even though I put it out that I'm the best there's ever been." He looked sheepishly at the floor. "You're the best there's ever been, JD, at least with me."

He thought back over the time that they had been together and knew that no one had ever been more gentle and loving with him than JD had. Where he had gotten this hair-brained thing in his mind that he was messing around on him, Buck had no idea! He knew better than to let JD loose though. When JD got mad, no one could hold the Kid. He'd run away on his own and cry his eyes out. In the past, Buck had let him do it. There was no way in Hell he was going to let his love go out that door! Whatever was out there was big, and Buck knew it was coming for them! It had seen them on the gangplank and was hungry.

"DON'T LIE TO ME, BUCK!" JD yelled, his words breaking into a sob that caused him to hate himself even more. It wasn't Buck's fault he was so young and inexperienced and stupid. It wasn't Buck's fault that he wasn't worthy of holding his love. "Just . . . " He shook his head and suddenly pulled out of Buck's arms. "Go!" he demanded, shoving against him. "Just go on! Go back to Chris, where ya wanna be! I can't blame ya!" He sobbed again.

"_**Chris!?!**_ What the _Hell_ are ya talking about?! Chris is with Vin; they love each other! Chris is my _brother_! Chris is my _brother_; _you_ are my _heart_! You think Chris and I have something going on?!" He gazed down into JD's brown eyes. "Why would I want Chris when I have the _best_ there's _ever been_?"

"I done told ya, Buck! I saw ya; you can stop lying!"

"I even miss your damn hat, JD!" Buck interjected.

"I said ya can stop the damn lies! I saw you in his arms! I saw you holding each other, and I saw the way you looked at him back there!"

"I can't help where I woke up! I didn't go to bed there! Something _put_ me there! Whatever it was didn't know that you and I belong together! I didn't seek Chris out, and he _damn_ sure didn't seek me out! Where did _you_ wake up?"

"Alone. Alone and miserable and looking at you two cuddling!"

"I thought I was holding you! And stop saying I'm lying! I'm not lying! You're the most important being in my world, JD, and I swear to you I ain't been looking at Chris that way! What used to be between Chris and me is no more! It stopped being there when I met you! And I'm trying very hard not to talk flowery words to you, 'cause I know you don't like 'em. I'm speakin' truth words! If ya don't like the truth, you're gonna hear it any way!"

He reached out and pulled JD close to him. He leaned down and kissed the tears off of JD's face. "Ya can hate me all ya want to, but you're not goin' out there and I'm gonna keep tellin' you how I feel an' prayin' that some day you're gonna listen to me! I'll go out there before I let you go out there! There's something out there, and it damn sure ain't gettin' ya!" He kissed him again.

JD trembled underneath Buck's touches and kisses, but his sobs grew rather than quieted. He wanted to believe him. He ached with the need to believe him, but he knew what he had seen. "I like flowery words all right," he mumbled, "when they're true! But even if what you're sayin' was true, Buck, how could you not know the difference between me an' Chris, 'specially after all the times you've slept with us both?!"

"I just woke up with Chris! I _didn't sleep_ with him! Why would I want to sleep with him when I could sleep in your loving arms?! I hate it when we fight, JD, 'specially when there's _no reason_! Can't you just forget where I woke up?! I didn't go to sleep there!"

"The water came down on us! When you jumped, I jumped, and that's the last thing I remember! Falling through the sky and trying to catch you and hitting the water, and damn it, JD, I can't swim, but I jumped after ya any damn way! Then I woke up and Chris was laying there! Hell, he thought I was Vin! You oughta seen his reaction when he found out it was me! We immediately jumped apart from each other and started looking for you two! _Look_ into my _eyes_, JD, and you'll see the _truth_ there," he pleaded with his partner.

His eyes couldn't lie to him, JD knew. The look in his eyes was how he'd first known he was thinking about Chris again in that manner. "You claim you don't feel anything more than brothership for him, Buck, but I looked in your eyes already and saw the truth! When we first thought we were gonna die, you looked at Chris like . . . like you used to look at me!"

"I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, but I look at _you_ with eyes of _love_, kid!" He had not taken his eyes off of JD's. He wanted him to see the truth that was in his eyes. "My heart beats _only_ for _you_! My lips crave _only yours_! My loins ache for _you_!" He blushed slightly, realizing that others could hear what he was saying and then not giving a damn. He had to convince his love.

"Chris and me love each other as brothers, and . . . we kind of feel responsible for all of you. What you saw looking at Chris was a desperate man, not a forlorn, lovesick man. We looked hopelessly and helplessly at each other, knowing we couldn't do anything to save the rest of you! That thing was _so huge_, bigger 'n anything we've ever faced before! We were powerless against it! We knew we were doomed, and yet we still wanted to save y'all even if we perished!"

He grew silent for a moment. "Maybe . . . you did see a . . . a flash . . . just for a minute, Kid, of love an' rememberin' of how it used to be an' thankfulness for how it is now. _I don't want Chris!!_ If Chris came back to me, beggin' me to go back to him, _I don't want him!!_ I don't _love_ him that way!! He _damn_ sure don't want me that way! Haven't you seen how he looks at Vin? It's the same way that I look at you! _You're my soul mate!_"

He grew quiet, wondering how he could convince JD. JD didn't see it in his eyes, didn't hear it in his words. Buck didn't know where to go from that. He didn't know how to convince him. "Circumstances can be wrong sometimes, or what you think is what's going on. Hell, I thought you an' Vin were doin' somethin' at the door! That's why I came over here. I was gonna kick his ass for stealing you from me! I got here, I found out it wan't what it looked like. I tell ya it's the same way with Chris an' me!"

JD had been searching Buck's eyes the whole last several minutes he'd been talking, and at long last, he was beginning to believe again. "I . . . " He shook his head. "Let's say the whole cuddlin' thing was by accident. You admittin' you looked at him one time, wantin' him, even if it was just fer one second?"

"I admit that maybe I did look at him that way, but that's all it took, JD. One minute, an' then I was looking back at you, thankful that you were in my life, that you were my love, that you were my partner! Forgive me, please, for havin' that one moment?"

"Oh, Buck!" The breath JD hadn't realized he'd been holding left his lungs in a great whoosh, and he collapsed into Buck's embrace, his own arms wrapping tightly around the man he loved more than he'd ever loved anything else. "'m sorry, Buck, but . . . but I saw that look and then the next time I saw you, you were in his arms! What was I s'posed to think?!"

"You saw that look and you jumped just because I looked?! _Damn, JD!!_ Have faith in me! _I love you!!_ I'm _not_ going to do you wrong!" Buck reached up and took a necklace off. He'd never taken it off before for on that necklace was a ring that had belonged to his mother. He placed it around JD's neck. "I pledge to you my undying love with this ring." He kissed JD, not giving the boy a chance to reject or accept, and did not let up for air.

* * *

Dean had seen the same thing move in the shadows that Buck had seen. He moved up behind his brother, knowing full well that Sammy had not seen it. He knew he had sensed it. "I saw it," Dean told him just low enough that Sammy alone could hear. "It's going to come in here, if we don't find some way to attack it. We have no weapons."

He pulled Sammy slowly back away from the open door. If any one got near that door, he'd yell at them to make sure they stayed away from it. He didn't know what they were going to do next, but he knew they'd best find the Captain and warn him. They were about to be under attack again! Women and animals should be to the rear, and those who could fight should be at the front!

"What is it?" Sam whispered. He hoped Dean knew because it would be a heck of a lot easier to fight it if they knew what it was. It was at that moment that he saw a dark-skinned woman moving toward the door. "Ma'am, ma'am, you can't go out there!"

Dean had heard the woman talk before and knew that she spoke Spanish. "We have an enemy out there," he told her. "Do not go out there alone. We are stronger together. Come back inside, please."

The young, masculine voice that spoke to her in her own language surprised Theodora so much that she whirled around to look at the boy. Sam sighed in relief and grinned proudly. Leave it to his love to know just how to get her to stop! Unfortunately, the lad was a bit quick in his assumptions.

"I know there is an enemy outside our door, boy, and you do need to stay in. Some one, however, must dispatch the creature."

"All I can do is warn you," Dean told her. "It's evil, pure evil. What weapon do you have? I would not like to see you killed, senorita. We must warn the others. I fear that there will be a battle for us to get from this vessel to a place of safety."

She paused a moment, considering his words. "I sense a couple. Do you know how many are out there?"

"At least two," Dean told her.

She smiled, but the smile did not meet her eyes. "You spoke as though there was more. Do not fear for me, senor. I can handle myself well." Her eyes flashed on yellow, and she instinctively knew the young men would understand. She watched the older stiffen and the younger jump slightly backwards. "I mean you no harm. Go now and find the one they call Captain Sparrow. Tell him of the situation, but these two will be no match for me." She ran out the door, and a bushy red tail with a white tip swept out from underneath her dress.

Sam watched the tail until it disappeared into the dark. "What the Hell was that?" he asked Dean.

"She's a Werecreature of some kind, Sammy. What creature has a white tip for a tail?"

Sam looked greatly puzzled even as he whispered the answer, "A fox!"

Dean could only nod in agreement and wondered what other kind of creatures this Captain Sparrow had in his crew. Captain Sparrow? _The_ Captain Jack Sparrow?! He grinned.

* * *

Lacey never wanted to release the dearest friend she'd ever had, and so it was that she did not part from him when she turned back to the crew she had hired to find her beloved cousin, the crew who she vaguely recalled from many years before though they didn't remember her, but rather stayed linked arm to arm. She could not blame the crew of the Magnificos, of course, for she had been vastly different back then. "James, my dear James, we have _so_ much to catch up on, and though some of them are, of course, admirers, even if they won't admit it," she fluttered her eyelashes at Josiah and Ezra, who both stifled groans, "not all are, unfortunately."

"My dear cousin, these brave men are the crew I hired to find you. Guys, guys," she called merrily to them, "this is my dear cousin! You've served me well, gentlemen, and for that, I thank you, though . . . " Her face fell ever so slightly. " . . . I fear I can not complete your payment until such time as I can reach Paris again as we've rather lost everything. You will be paid in full, however. You needn't fear for that. It will simply take a bit more time than originally planned."

"That, madam, can not be helped," Chris told her in a kind voice. "I am glad that we were able to fulfill our part and deliver you safely into your cousin's arms. Alas, our poor ship does not exist any more! Pleased to meet you, Captain Hook."

"That's all right, gentlemen," James told them rather gaily, clinging tightly to his cousin. "Don't call me Captain for I, too, no longer have a ship. Just call me James." He looked sad for a moment. He could hardly wait to introduce his beloved cousin to his family.

"James, this is Captain Larabee;" she indicated the lead man in black who continued to chew his cheroot, "his Preacher, Father Josiah Sanchez," she motioned with a flutter of a gloved hand at the tall man in the colorful serape, " -- you really _should_ hear his lecture of fire and brimstone; it positively sends _chills_ down you --;" she elbowed him in the side so that he'd know she hadn't lost her senses and rather meant chills of a completely different sort than that she was sure the good Father thought she was referring to, "and of course, his most eloquent gunner, Mister Ezra Standish." She gestured to the last man in the small group who wore a lovely red jacket and a handsome smile that was only slightly off and tightly clutched the bottle of whiskey the Fates had been kind enough to grant him. She placed one gloved hand upon her hip. "Now where _did_ that Mister Wilmington run off to?"

"Glad to meet you, gentlemen," James told each of them as he shook their hands. He could hardly wait for Lacey to meet his own family and had no idea that they were so close.

Those that were on James' mind suddenly seemed closer than they were before as he heard Connor growl, "_Dad!_", in a menacing voice. _Now_ what have I done or not done?! James thought despairingly as he turned around to face Connor. Smee looked as white as though he had seen a ghost! "Smee, are you all right?!" James asked in deep concern.

"You have to _ask_ that?!" Connor growled out. "After what _you've_ just done?!"

"_Me?!_" James asked, confusion on his face. "What . . . What have I done now?!" Bewilderment showed in his voice and on his face. What _had_ he done? James racked his brain but could think of nothing. Smee looked as though he was about to faint. James reached out his good hand to touch Smee when Connor slapped at him. "_Connor!?!_" James took a step backwards in shock. His son had never struck at him!

"Oh, dear, James, it really seems you've angered these people! What on Earth have you done, and when did you and Smee come to a parting of the ways, you poor darling?!" Lacey crooned, never realizing the danger she was in.

Zora's green eyes flashed, and she let go of Smee to leer closer at the bitch who had dared to break up her love's fathers' happy union. "Shut your yap, bitch, 'fore I rip your damn throat out! You know what you did and who you fucked!"

"Madam," Ezra's drawl exclaimed, "that is no way for a lady to speak, and Ah will not stand here and let you assault . . . " An odd look flitted across his face, and for a moment, he thought he might well lose what little food he'd managed to keep down. " . . . Miss Hook in such a manner!"

Josiah's hand went to his gun only to realize that it was no longer there, and Chris stepped forward, placing himself between Lacey and the girl. "Miss Hook is a lady," he spoke to the angry children.

"_Mrs. Hook_?!?!" Connor spat out. "You _**married**_ her already?!"

Now James could clearly see where the trouble was coming from. "Why would I marry my _cousin_?!" James asked. "Smee, you remember Lacey, don't you?!"

For the first time since they had come to face James, Smee dared to lift his gaze to James'. Tears were pouring down his face, but they slowed when his gaze shifted to the woman who clung to his beloved James. "L-Lacey?! We . . . We thought you died!"

Zora glanced sideways at Connor, uncertainty replacing the fury that had filled her a mere heartbeat before.

"Yes, shugah, it's me in the flesh!" Well, sort of . . . She opened her arms wide. "Now what is this that my silly, little, ole cousin has supposedly done?"

"Nothing!" Smee rushed into Lacey's arms and then turned slightly and pulled James into the embrace, as well. "Oh, James, my love, I wondered how you could have . . . ! I should have known you wouldn't, especially after all we've just been through!" How had they all misread his love so terribly?!

Vin stepped in beside Chris and whispered in his ear of the trouble that awaited them outside. "Vampires. Four o' 'em."

James broke apart from Smee and Lacey for one moment. "Now I have to introduce you to the rest of your family," he said with a big grin. "I can see you already remember Smee."

"How could I ever forget your dear Samuel?!" She sighed as she looked down at Smee's shortened and far rounded stature. "Oh, how terribly they've messed us over, Smee!"

"That's all right, Lacey," Smee said, and he realized that, for the first time, he truly meant it. "What's on the outside doesn't matter. It's the inside that counts, and I'm sure you're just as beautiful inside as you ever were. Sorry about all that . . . confusion."

"It's all right, dear. I understand completely. You've got to watch out for what's yours."

Josiah wondered how they could get Lacey confused as being a girlfriend with James when they were cousins. He thought maybe the family hadn't seen each other in a long time, but when James started introducing his family, he realized that they had never met.

"Connor, I want you to meet your cousin Lacey."

Connor felt very shame-faced and didn't want to look into Lacey's face. He mumbled something about, "Pleased to meet ya."

Lacey moved to stand before Connor. She crooked a gloved fingertip underneath the boy's chin and rose his face to meet hers. She smiled as she saw his eyes desperately trying to focus on anything other than her. "Ah, you've got a bold one here, James, just as bold and full of courage as you two! And I'm sure he's just as much a handful as we were when we were b-- children! There's no reason for you to be ashamed, child. You were merely protecting your fathers and what's best for them, and you should be proud of that."

James smiled fondly at the boy. "I've got another one. These are my and Smee's boys."

"Really?! At long last?! How on _Earth_ did you two manage that?! You'll have to fill me in on _all_ the details!" She grinned from ear to ear.

James didn't make a comment on that, but he was looking forward to going over old times and telling Lacey about their lives. First he had more introductions to make. "This is Zora, Connor's intended, and Zora's father, Vang."

Lacey's jaw slackened for just a moment and nearly fell open completely. Her eyes darted back and forth between Zora and Vang before settling back on Vang. "You mated with a human woman," she questioned the tiger as though it could answer her, "or are . . . are you . . . one of our people?"

Ezra wished fervently for some more whiskey.

Josiah shook his head at the boldness of the woman. Was there _any_ subject Lacey wouldn't dare to touch?! he wondered.

The fur around Vang's face grew considerably darker, and he lowered his eyes away from the person who wasn't as ladylike as she claimed to be. Zora answered for him, "It's a long story. I might tell ya later." Then again, she might not.

* * *

Connor had noticed something strange about his cousin, Lacey. Although she looked and felt like a woman when he hugged her, the smell was definitely not that of a female human, despite the perfume that was so intense it had nearly choked him on the spot. Part of him listened to his family, and the other part of him listened to what the long-haired man was telling the man in black.

Vampires? His nephew had gone out into that! He hoped Spike was okay. He must hurry and tell his other father what was going on. If there were Vampires, they should go out and defend the family, and they couldn't let the women know.

He slipped away while Lacey was talking to Vang and Zora. He made his way to where he could see Angel and Cordy standing. "Dad, can I have a word with you? It's a . . . guy thing," he told Cordy so that she wouldn't try to eavesdrop.

"Sure, son," Angel told him. "I'll be right back, love," he kissed her on the tip of his nose, wondering what Connor could have gotten himself into this time that he didn't think James and Smee could handle. As soon as he had gotten Angel away from Cordy, he leaned forward and whispered to his dad, "We're under attack."

"Damn! Not again!" Angel growled in frustration. "Why is it such a quiet attack?"

"'Cause they're few, but they're Vampires."

"I'll go take care of them," Angel told Connor. No part of "we" did Connor hear. "You stay here and make sure the women stay in here."

"But I wanted to g-!"

"Not this time, son!" Angel steadily made his way toward the open doorway.

Dean saw Angel coming. He was one who could fight. Dean didn't try to stop him, but the next two who came, Dean stepped forward. "Huh, you can't go out there right now," he told the pair. "There's . . . Angel's taking care of business." He was worried about the Werefox since nothing had been heard from her since she had walked out the door, and he could tell he was about to get a handful of trouble.

Chris looked the boy up and down. "Nobody tells me what I can and can't do, kid. Get out of the way," he growled, tossing his tattered, soaked cheroot to the floor.

When Dean still would not step out of the way and his brother moved to block their path, as well, Chris told him, "I can handle whatever's out there. You need to stay in here with the women and children. Get out of my way before I have to move you."

"But it's . . . " His eyes darted around the ship. Every one else appeared busy in their own private worlds. He leaned forward and whispered hushedly, "Vampires."

At once, all the others stopped talking and stared at the few men who stood in the doorway. All thoughts flew to the fact that they were once more under attack. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Joxer fell down; Autolycus snatched him up. Derek coughed.

It was Vin who truly broke the silence, however, as he threw back his head and laughed. Then he looked Dean in the eyes, "Kid, everybody knows there ain't no such thing as Vampires." Whisperings ran rampant through the vessel. He leaned in front of Dean and growled, flashing his fangs so that only the two boys could see, "Now _move_."

Dean backed up so quickly he bumped into Sam. He kept backing until they backed up the gangplank and out the open door. Chris followed right along behind, keeping perfect step with his mate and acting as though nothing had ever been said.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

**Tortuga**

Thunder roared its anguish like a gigantic God playing nine pins, and for just a moment, a scene flashed through his head wherein the nine pins were those he loved the most. As thunder rattled the buildings around him and the pouring rain slashed at his face so that he could not see and had instead to rely upon his nose to lead him, he could almost hear the Gods' laughter. It chilled him to the bone, but with a roar of his own, he promised not to give in to it and resumed his ultimate speed.

He turned to face the door he had passed through many times before, but always before she had been there. She had been there to lead and to cajole, to keep the peace, but now she was gone and he was alone. Frightened eyes rose to the door as his hand hovered just an inch above the thick wooden door that he knew to be laden with much more than mere wood. What if she wouldn't help? He was William the Bloody after all, no less the Scourge of Europe than Angelus, but she was Ola.

Thunder rolled across the dark sky. Winds howled, whipping at everything its hungry mouth could get on. Fierce hunger lurched in the Vampire's stomach, but a pain much worse roared in his heart and soul. Rain sliced through the atmosphere like huge daggers, cutting into the back of his tattered trench coat. His fist fell against the door, and he prayed to the Goddess his beloved so often called upon for deliverance and her safety.

* * *

**Somewhere**

She awoke to a steady tapping of metal against her side. She kept her body perfectly still as her brain came back into focus and she remembered. She recalled their coming and the Hell that had followed. She recalled seeing Him again and remembered, too, that He had turned His back to them. She remembered falling, having no way to catch herself, not knowing where she'd end up, and praying that Dawson wouldn't follow for his own safety, praying that He would return and save her family. She didn't even know who He was, she realized, and perhaps she'd been a fool, but the entire time she'd been cussing, she'd also been praying. Perhaps because so many of her loved ones believed and she had nothing left to hold on to in hope of saving them?

When she moved, she moved with the speed of a rattlesnake, uncoiling and snapping with its fierce anger. She grabbed the metal cane before her opponent even knew she was awake, but she could neither throw the being off of its end nor snatch it away from him. Instead, he whipped it out of her hands with startling speed and struck her head so hard she fell back and was temporarily winded.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you," a cold, sneering, and worst of all, familiar voice told her, "for if you do, he'll suffer the consequences."

His words scared her heart so that it barely beat. Her stormy, dark eyes followed the cane, and she wanted to scream and rip her captor to shreds for what she saw. The man she loved hung in a cell, large restraints chaining him to the wall, and her beloved, golden, innocent boy sported a huge, black bruise upon the side of his handsome face. She looked at the skinny man with the cane with pure hatred burning in her eyes and almost made a tackle for him. He pressed the head of his cane against her, tisking, and she stopped as she saw the long, narrow face that sported a wire mustache that seemed to sneer of its own accord.

"Jafar," Faith spat the Wizard's name. "What have you done to him?"

"Nothing . . . yet." He tapped the cane against the floor, and the cobra's eyes glowed red. "That all depends on you, Faith. I have just a teensy," he held out two fingers as if to emphasize that the favor was truly incredibly small, "favor to ask of you."

Her eyes swung back to Dawson. "Whatever it is, I'll do it, but you have to let him go unharmed."

"Of course. I'll let you both go as soon as you've done what I ask."

"Name it."

* * *

**Somewhere**

He could not remember a time when he had ever felt worse. He opened his eyes slowly, but the images that kept swimming before them caused him to feel dizziness so he shut them rather quickly. A roar sounded above him, and then a low, growling voice said, "Fool, get off of me!"

"I can't see!" he told her.

"Don't matter. Roll over," the queenly voice came again."

He did just that, landing on his back and forcing his eyes to open. This time, he was better able to see. The blueness of the sky caused him to draw in a deep breath. It was the prettiest color he'd ever seen. His eyes travelled around their surroundings, taking in the leafy, green lushness of the trees that seemed to be so heavy-laden with leaves that they hung down low, caressing the earth with their trailing fingertips. "Paradise?" he questioned.

Again, the voice came to him. "I don't know where we're at. I haven't been here before, but it damn sure ain't paradise!"

His eyes came to rest on the direction from where he thought the voice came from. He didn't see any one. He sat up rather quickly, making his head spin, even as his eyes grew wide in shock at the sight that was before him. Instead of seeing another semi-human as himself, he saw a huge lioness looking rather hungrily at him. He scrabbled backwards till he came to rest against a tree. "Have you been _talking_ to me?!"

"But of course I've been talking to you! Who else would I be wasting my breath on in this Hellhole?" Her tail struck the ground angrily.

"How did we get here, and who . . . Who are you? And who am I?!" His voice grew high pitched as the shock of realization came upon him that he didn't have the foggiest clue who he was or who she was, but he didn't think it quite right that a cat could be talking to him and that he understood every single word!

She cocked her head as she eyed him suspiciously. "I always knew your head was soft. Who do you _think_ you are?"

He scratched his head in puzzlement. "I don't know. I don't know who you are or who I am. Where do we belong? It's not here." He got shakily to his feet and began to pace. "I know it's not here!" He finally stopped directly in front of her and gazed down, his stance indicating that he was demanding to know everything that she knew and hoping that she did have the answers. He felt something on his back, and his hand went slowly up to touch something that hung from his back. He pulled it around to the front of him and stared at it as though he'd never seen it before in his entire life. He let it drop in front of the huge cat. A look of sheer puzzlement was on his face.

Cindy kneaded the soft ground beneath her claws as her tail again struck the air and she suppressed a grin. This could be . . . _useful_! "Put that back on," she demanded, stretching to her feet and holding her head high with dire urgency. "We don't have time for this silly game! We must find my Mother, _your_ mistress." Her eyes cut daggers into him. "Don't think any funny business, Green Pants. _She_ is royalty; you are her, and _my_, _servant_."

"What's my name?" He looked at her. "And where is our mistress?" He complied with putting the bow back on.

"Like I _said_," she snapped, her tail snapping with energy that matched her words, "we have to _find_ her. We were _attacked_, and _you failed_ to protect her." She sniffed. "Some archer you are." She never would have hurt Lorne intentionally, but this was simply too fun to pass up! Hopefully, by the time she was done with him and they had found Crystal, he would still not remember and would know he was not worthy of her mother. "Your name is Lorne Green . . . " She paused, another word on the tip of her tongue, but surely even in this condition, he would not be dumb enough to fall for such a silly name. She could not afford to give him any cause for doubt, and so she let the name hang.

"My name is Lorne, and I am an archer. I am sorry I failed to protect you and your mother." He closed his eyes for a brief moment as the dizziness seemed to be coming back. "But I don't remember! Who took her? Why did they take her, and why didn't they just kill my worthless body?"

"Search me," she shot back, "though you may get your wish when your sentence is announced. Wizards took her, and do you really need to ask why? She's _royalty_, and she was a threat to them! They want to rule the world and spread their evil across it. She stood in their way. _You_ . . . " She sniffed indignantly. "I suppose you could say you attempted to also stand in their way." A bark of dry laughter escaped her throat.

Lorne hung his head in shame. "I am sorry I failed you. What did you say your name was?"

"I am _Queen_ Cindy," she announced with a swish of her long, tawny tail. "_You_ may call me _Your Majesty_."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Lorne sniffed. "We must go and look for your mother immediately. Wh-wh-" His voice trembled. "Wh-What does a Wizard look like?"

"Anything they want to." She was already stalking ahead of him, her tail swinging in step and her nose steadily sniffing the air that was filled with a jumble of exotic scents.

"Then we must be very careful not to be seen. If they see us before we see them, it will all be over!" His voice wailed. "Sh-shouldn't I go first so that I might defend your honor, milady?"

"You could never find her with your pathetic nose."

"True," Lorne acknowledged as he fell into step behind the royal creature who now led the way.

"Now shut your yap and keep your eyes open. Our alliances are many, but the enemy is greater."

* * *

**Somewhere**

It seemed like hours that Eddie had been trapped. Where, he still didn't know. He was afraid to move. When he had first awoken, he had been able to tell that he was trapped in a world of white Hell, and the white stuff kept coming down. He had tried to walk, but his hooves would not dig in deep enough and he had slipped and almost fallen off of the building. His frightened cries had filled the night, but no matter how loudly he cried, he knew Will would never come to rescue him from this white Hell.

It was so cold! His teeth were chattering. The only place he had ever seen so much of this white stuff before was when they had gone to the North Pole. It was a white Hell, and he knew he would perish in it!

"My poor Will!" he moaned into the wind which snatched his words even as they tumbled from his mouth. "That no good Pirate better take care of him! I might as well lay down, go to sleep. There's no rescue from here!" His voice had grown softer, and tears had began to fall from his eyes only to freeze upon his face.

Just as he had about given up, he heard a very small voice wailing at the top of its lungs. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the roof. He took a step only to have his feet slide out from under him. He began to inch his way across the frozen rooftop, using the small voice to locate whatever being was here.

Could this being rescue him? he wondered. If only he could find it and stop it from crying! It must be a baby, he thought even as he began to call out loud, "Hello, little one! This ole Eddie here! I'm comin' to your rescue!" He thought, I hope you can rescue me! His teeth chattered, and he hoped the little one could hear him.

"Comin' to your rescue!" The words came to a small, furry, black body. It was colder than anything the kitten had ever seen. It didn't know how it had come to be there nor where its mother was. It seemed like forever since it had fallen from the rooftop next to this rooftop. He knew his mother had no idea where he was nor would she ever find him until it was too late, but he heard a voice calling to him. It sounded like a human. Humans meant light, food, rescue! his tiny, little brain thought. He was so startled when he saw that the mouth that was talking belonged not to a human but to some kind of weird-looking beast that every hair on his body stood straight up and, despite his freezing, he spit.

Eddie could not remember a time when he had been more disappointed. Instead of finding some one to rescue himself, he had now found some one who needed rescuing. It had seemed to take hours for him to slither across the rooftop. He doubted that he had much warmth left to his body. "Stop spitting at me, young one! Come to me. At least you'll be warm for a little bit longer. Our body heat will help." He doubted that the small cat would be able to give him any body heat that would help, but at least he could help the kitten to survive a little longer.

The kitten finally settled down enough that Eddie was able to draw near enough to cut off some of the wind that insistently poured over the rooftop. "My name is Eddie," he told the kitten. "Maybe some one will come to look for you and will be able to help me." If it's not too late, he thought to himself. He lay down beside the kitten and scrunched the kitten between his body and the wall. The kitten, grateful for the warmth, curled up as close as he could get to Eddie.

Eddie began to mumble sleepily, "My boy's gonna come get me. I'm gonna be saved. I'm gonna be with Will. Who's coming for you?" he asked the kitten but didn't receive a reply even as he began to drift off to sleep and warm thoughts of Will and a safe, warm bed, never realizing that he was slowly freezing to death.

"Nnnnnnobody," the kitten chattered miserably. "Mmmmmomma's gggggoonne." But Eddie never heard him.

* * *

**Somewhere**

Her fingers were entwined with a soft fur that was sticky with an unfamiliar substance. The blonde's eyes cracked open but shut swiftly against the eye-searing brightness. A soft whimper stirred her to open her eyes again, and this time, she found her eyes gazing upon a being her love could not have been greater for if she had given birth to her herself. Her dried lips parted as Crystal tried to call her familiar's name, but no sound would leave her aching throat. She forced herself to a sitting position, and her hands quickly checked every inch of her little one's body. The wolf slept in fevered dreams, and a thick layer of sweat coated her body.

She was already beginning to put two and two together as she looked up at the bright light and shielded her eyes from the brilliant radiance of the sun who seemed frighteningly close to the earth. She looked around, and her fear grew with each glance for as far as she could see, desert stretched on endlessly. Crystal laid her hands back on Elvira and was just beginning to concentrate on lowering her temperature dramatically when she sensed movement in the ground beneath them.

She tried to ignore the sensations, telling herself that whatever it was could wait until she'd seen to her baby, but the sensations moved swiftly closer and dreadful warning rolled in the lower pit of her stomach. Elvira was barely beginning to reach the right temperature when the sand exploded behind Crystal. She whirled around, covering her beloved familiar with her own body and forming a sword of ice in her hands.

The being that shot out of the ground was huge, and its snarls were savage. She understood his intent immediately and knew that Elvira and herself were upon its intended dinner menu. The sun blocked out most of the creature's face, but the scattered, golden rays illuminated the snarling, glistening fangs. Saliva flew from them, spattering the blonde even as she felt Elvira begin to stir to consciousness behind her.

Ice formed quickly underneath them, but the worm was faster. It crashed towards them, its hot breath assailing them like the winds of a tornado. She shot ice daggers into its mouth, but it crunched them, letting little pieces fall upon its prey while it swallowed the rest. Her attack slowed the beast just enough that her ice disc was able to complete its formation underneath Elvira and herself. As it came again, they flew out from under it. Crys grasped Elvira, who now trembled with fear, sickness, and confusion, with one arm and guided their path with that hand while her other hand continued to sling out steadily-bigger chunks of ice. The worm kept coming . . .

* * *

**Tortuga**

She stared out into the dark streets where the rain poured so heavily it seemed to almost threaten the fabled forty-days and forty-nights flood. He wasn't sure if she had heard what he had said or simply wasn't ready to allow herself to react. He knew it was perhaps the worst news he could have delivered to her and wished, yet again, that he'd been able to have a more reassuring answer for her. He moved up silently behind her as lightning cut through the air and struck the ground outside, briefly illuminating two of their own a split second before they killed more. He placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder, and for just a brief second, he was surprised at the fragility he felt. She tightened under his touch but still did not speak.

She gave herself time she really could not afford but needed desperately as she fought to rein in all the emotions that boiled within her. She stared out at the remnants of the town she'd once sworn to save the people of, not really seeing the devastation but seeing his handsome face instead. She needed him. She needed him now more than ever before, but he would not be coming. He could not come for he had been taken from them by a force as strong as the one who now ruled this island in a death grip.

She felt eyes upon her and knew who they belonged to though she did not even so much as lift her eyes to their reflections. They were both waiting for her answer. She knew what one wanted, or thought, in this moment of uneven clarity, she did, and knew the other needed her calm guidance though he'd never admit it. After all, he was the one who was supposed to be doing the guiding, and she knew he kicked himself steadily for the failure he felt was imminent. At times, she wished she'd never sent for him, but the beings here needed him and his worst than quite possibly anywhere else . . . worst, certainly, than anywhere else she knew of at the moment.

She forced herself to focus and place him to the outskirts of her mind for now, though she feared she'd never be able to do so in her heart. "Not now, Stephen. I am sorry, but I would not be able to do you justice now. Please grant me just a little time."

The man behind her snatched his hand away as though he'd been scalded, but before he could add verbal protest to his actions, an urgent knock came upon their door. She hurried toward it, glad for the timely interruption, but even then she seemed, to the two men in the room with her, to almost float upon the air and neither could keep his eyes from following her. She stopped just before the door and was glad to hear her two youngest come in from the back entrance even as she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me."

The demand for a furthered definition was on the tip of her tongue when the recognition of the despairing British voice struck her. She threw open the door, her blue eyes filled with immediate concern. She looked up into the blonde Vampire's face and knew he'd been crying though he'd never admit it. "Where is she?"

"They took her." Every inch of the misery that filled his heart, soul, and mind crept into his voice, and he wanted to kick himself for giving his feelings away.

"Who?" She did not take her eyes away from him but felt her friend's angry approach nonetheless. "You will not harm him, Rupert, or any who are with him. He is Kyna Chan's husband and my friend, and I forbid it."

The other Brit stopped just short behind the dark-tressed woman whose soft voice never rose though it left no room to argue. She heard the "harrumph" he made in the deep of his throat but kept her attention focused on Spike whose answer both startled and scared her, "The Council." She heard the usual-agile Stephen drop something in her small kitchen; she dismissed it, knowing the object was unimportant.

"What of the others? Did they take them, as well?"

"Some of 'em."

"Only some? Where are the others?"

"Back at the dock."

"Non! Please tell me you did not abandon them!"

"Abandon them? They know where we're at! They -- "

"They can not handle themselves, Spike, not against what we face!" She turned behind her to see several faces peering anxiously and hands groping weapons and jackets. "To the docks!" She reached just inside the door, grabbed a rope, and tugged. A bell rang out, calling the attentions of the last of their group. Then, to the surprise of all gathered, she picked up a pitchfork and raced from the safety of her shop, taking the lead toward the docks and silently praying it wasn't too late to save Spike's nor her own friends.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

**Tortuga**

She moved as fast as the lightning that cut jagged fingers through the heated air all around them. She had not sensed as many who were actually emproaching upon their territory as there was, but it didn't matter. She was alone, always alone since her mate's death, and there was only two choices when faced with the enemy: kill or be killed. She was already a blur of red and white, biting and clawing at every Vampire in sight, when they came out.

Sam noted her first, or so he thought. He was surprised at the swift ferocity of the female's attack but then had no more time to ponder the strange creature the quiet Latina had become as Vampires surged his love, himself, and the two who had all but chased them out the door.

Vin was changing swiftly. His mouth was the last to transform. "Get inside, -- " His words ended in a growl as his mouth became the wolf's snout. He grabbed the boys, turned, and threw them back into the vessel they had just descended from so swiftly that neither had time to protest. His mate was already firing his special gun when he turned back into the fight. His claws struck out, slicing off the head of the first Vampire who charged him.

The fight was brutal and swift, but far too soon they began to find themselves outnumbered . . .

* * *

Dean had managed to land under Sam, breaking his fall. His hands ached to have a weapon of any kind. He felt so helpless yet vowed to protect his brother and only love to his dying breath. He pulled Sam to his feet and turned to face the dark interior of the ship. They were not inside yet, but he knew they soon would be.

If he simply announced it, he would cause panic amongst those who were weaker than themselves, those who were injured and not able to escape to freedom, but escape lay outside where the most danger already lurked. He must find Captain Jack. Pulling Sam behind him, he began to walk forward slowly, feeling with his feet and calling out Jack's name.

It was not Captain Sparrow's voice that answered the young Winchester but another as Captain James Hook called out, "Over here, boi. Sparrow is not too far from here, though I do not know why he hasn't answered yet."

* * *

Jack had barely moved to where Lex had just found Phillip and was holding tightly to the mirror while calling for he and Xena and was about to speak to Lex when he heard his name being called and Hook's mouth going off. "I'm over here," he called. "Be careful how you step. There are bodies all over the place." He could see eyes glistening in the dark and did not know who they belonged to. He could feel the hair on his arms rising yet knew not from where the imminent danger was coming.

Dean came closer to the Captain and in a very low voice that only those who were near to Jack could hear said simply, "They are coming."

Jack always knew that the enemy was coming. Which one, he wondered, this time? Even when he slept, he kept one ear open, waiting for the danger that was about to pounce on him and his. His hand reached out and grasped the young Winchester boy's arm as he felt the ship surge. "They?" he questioned. "How many are they?"

* * *

She had them together at last; the mirror could wait. She looked from the face of her beloved to the thin face of a man who had become more like a brother to both her soul mate and herself than either of their own blood kin and then to the mustached face and troubled eyes of another who was nearly as much a brother as her own brother, Gods rest his soul. Memories and fears still flashed through her mind, but she forced a calm exterior, knowing they relied on her. She knew her beloved remembered, but did the rest of their family?

Xena's eyes moved to Joxer, but Autolycus spoke before she could, taking her eyes to him instead. "I'm sorry." His voice was quiet and filled with shame, and Xena knew how much it pained the prideful man to have to speak such words. "I'm so -- "

She held up a hand. "It's all right, Autolycus. You didn't know." She smiled sadly at him and then turned back to Joxer. "Joxer, . . . what do you remember?"

Joxer was quiet, the memories playing back over him. His face was pale, and his body trembled. "I saw it all!" His voice croaked out. "I held you when it happened." Tears ran down his face. "I couldn't stop it!"

Gabrielle moved forward and held Joxer. "Neither could we." He felt her tears falling upon his head. "And yet he lives!" Gabrielle breathily exclaimed. Her eyes met those of her beloved. "We have known Her so long, and yet She never once told us or let on!"

She knew they felt betrayed. She did, as well, but slowly, slowly, she was beginning to understand. Their tears tore at her heart, and she wished that there was some way she could take their pain away and make it her own cross to bare. She stepped forward, gathering both Gabrielle and Joxer into her strong arms and aching to be able to protect them from all the world's evils.

She saw the tears in Autolycus' eyes and knew he was trying to be strong but would soon lose the battle with himself. She reached out, grasped his hand, and squeezed it gently. She was hardly ever one to show such emotion, but this time she didn't care. She had stayed away from her family and their true bonds, with the sole exception of her beloved, for far too long. She felt their trembling as though it was her own, but though she stayed stiff and firm on the outside, she, too, was shaking and crying inside.

"I do not think She had a lot of choice," she spoke softly, finding her voice at last. "All it took for us to remember was one glimpse of him." One glimpse that had brought forbidden feelings rushing back into her. "They sent us into this timeline, because They did not want us to remember. Zeus could have just killed us, as He did him, but for some reason, He let us live. I believe we have Her to thank for that."

She wondered if they realized that they would now become Their targets. Aphrodite, Ares, Cupid, and Hercules had all been snatched away. She knew why. He had called Them, and He was pissed. They would be next. She wondered what punishment He had in mind for them and knew she'd do everything in her power to protect her family but feared it wouldn't be enough.

Toly gripped Xena's hand in warm gratitude, returning his love to his small family as well. He was glad that the memories had come back, because now he felt complete. He marvelled at the oddity of the concept for he had just lost the woman he'd thought he'd loved, but he had never felt more whole than he did in this moment.

It was then that the realization came upon him that something was not quite right. His thief's eyes revealed to him movement, slithering movement just outside one of the windows in the top of the vessel. His eyes grew large with fright, and he tugged at Xena's hand. They were about to be attacked, and they had no weapons!

* * *

Though there were many in the vessel, she stood alone. Thoughts swept through her mind, and a voice droned on and on from inside her cupped palm. "Come inside. Meet the missus. Come inside. Meet the missus. Come inside. Meet the Missus." The tiny being had said the same words countless times, and any one else would have lost patience with him long ago. She no longer heard him, however, for she was completely caught up in her own thoughts that all circled the lie she'd believed for so long now.

It wasn't his fault, she continually told herself, glad she'd managed to slip away from him for what she knew would only be a short while. He hadn't lied to her. She had never asked him. She had simply presumed that no other had ever touched his heart so. But then again, she suddenly realized, hadn't he told her that he'd never known love until she'd came into his life? She bristled. Her black eyes flashed darker than the stormy night sky outside. So he had lied!

But why? Why not just tell her the truth? Did he still harbor feelings for the lowly wench? If she had been capable of love, would he have still loved her? He would have, she realized, for they never would have broken up otherwise. And then where would she have been left? He was more than just the man she loved. He was everything good to her, her moon, her stars, her life. He, and his world, had become her life, and she had stood by his side throughout everything.

She wrapped her arms unconsciously over her chest as though she could keep out the cold that came not from the outside but from the inside. Unshed tears stung her black eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Now wasn't the time to give in to her emotions. She had to find a way to quickly get pass this for every second she wasted in heartache was another second that her twin sister suffered at the hands of their enemies.

Yet she couldn't stop thinking about her husband and the bitch, and so it was that, despite so many of the fighters beginning to sense danger, the warning signs went missed by the Queen of Goblins, a title she only wore because of her marriage to a man who might well have still loved another if she'd never betrayed him. Would he, she wondered fearfully, still take her back if she was to denounce the error of her ways? Her heart wept, and fear crawled against her cold, pale skin like a hundred tarantulas.

* * *

He moaned as he came to, and he lifted his head to see many eyes peering at him from the darkness. His eyes shifted, and suddenly he could make out every inch of the animals who cowered in the dark confines of the part of the ship's hold where he currently lay. He could smell the fear that wafted off of them in droves, and then as his nose searched pass the scents of his family, he could smell blood, fear, broken bones, and the reason why the animals were so afraid.

Prue! He had to get to Prue before they attacked, before it was too late! He pushed off of the floor even as fur began quickly spreading over his body. Suddenly, the animals all began talking at once. Elephants trumpeted. Monkeys and birds screeched. The smaller cats yowled while the bigger ones roared their warning protests. Dogs and wolves howled. Cattle, sheep, and gazelle bleeted. Raccoons chattered. Bears, crocodiles, alligators, and others added their roars to those of the big cats.

Every animal save one kind that Brendan did not recognize shouted their protests in their own languages at the top of their lungs. The one who did not was a strange being unlike anything he'd ever seen before. They reminded him of giant rats and had been hanging upside down by their tails. Now they fell, in an apparent dead heap, to the deck.

Brendan added his own roar as he bolted over the makeshift fence and ran for Prue.

* * *

Xena followed Autolycus' gaze upward just as the animals all began screaming, screeching, yowling, howling, and roaring. She spotted the movement outside the window just as a furry body was thrown into the open window. At the same time, across the vessel, Cordelia screamed Angel's name as his body was the first to be thrown through the open doors. She ran to him even as Xena parted from her family.

Xena's trademark war cry yodeled from the top of her lungs as she began a series of flips meant to take her toward the falling member of their crew. As she moved, her hand went instinctively to her chakram, and she was surprised to find Some One had returned it to its rightful place. She took one more flip, caught the demorphing Werecreature, and then let her chakram fly.

Cordelia knelt by Angel's still body and then had to duck as two more bodies flew through the air. Her attention stayed riveted on Angel. She shook him and called his name fearfully even as Vampires surged into the vessel.

"_**CHRIS!!!**_" Buck's panicked shout was the first JD realized that the last two bodies thrown at them was two of their own. His heart dropped pass his boots and he broke into a run beside his love as they moved to protect their family.

The screaming broke Delvira out of her thoughts, and she flung a huge fireball at the first Vampires to come in pass the open doors. More replaced them, however, even faster than she could form another fireball.

Xena landed on her feet, laid the body of the Latina who was far too still upon the deck, and caught her chakram as it sped back to her hand. She let it fly again even as the head of the first Vampire who had climbed in through the window splattered onto the floor.

The other windows and the top door blasted open, and more Vampires began pouring in. Some ran. Some climbed. Some even flew. They poured in swiftly and soon seemed to fill every cranny of the vessel.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

**Tortuga**

Angel moaned as his eyes flashed open. "VAMPIRES!" he screamed even though it was unnecessary to give the warning now. The hordes were upon them, and they had no weapons save for hands and fangs! He barely managed to roll to his feet and get between Cordelia and an attacker. "WE HAVE TO GET TO OLA'S!" he told Cordelia. "DO NOT LEAVE MY SIDE! WE WILL HAVE TO FIGHT OUR WAY OUT OF HERE!"

She had ached to hug him tightly and hold him close to her when he had come around, but he had moved far too swiftly for her to be able to react in time. She silently chastised herself as she turned to take the position at his back. This was not the time for hugging or kissing, though she longed for an opportunity to show her relief and gratitude that he was still undead. This was a time to fight, and he needed her to be strong now. He needed her to be strong and to have his back, but she had no weapons except for her own, far too tender flesh.

Her hazel eyes grew wide with growing fear as she watched the Vampires seemingly pouring into their ship. A tightness formed in her throat and grew steadily larger. She fought down the urge to scream, reminding herself over and over again that she had to be brave for him. He neither needed nor deserved a wimp, and she wanted to make him proud of her.

A Vampire flew into her face, and its fangs glistened wickedly as it smiled at her. "'Ello, pretty." He reached for her. She ducked and was about to strike out with her small fists when she felt Angel move. She fell back and watched in wide-eyed amazement as her love flipped over her in a whirlwind of black leather and proceeded to pound into the offending Vampire.

* * *

Dean had almost gotten the word "Vampires" out to Jack, but even as the word tumbled from his lips, they were attacked. Jack backed up against Will, fighting all those who were in front of him and coming at him. All he had was his bare hands, and he knew that Will did not even have a hatchet. They were no match against the horde of Vampires, but he tried to get between Will and the oncoming enemy.

Dean quickly did the same thing, pushing Sam up against the wall of the ship, facing outward, and defending them with his bare hands. Thoughts of dread and memories of their life together, especially the last few days, flashed through the young man's mind. His heart hammered in his chest for he knew there was no way out, but he kept his smile in check, big, white teeth flashing proudly.

Jack glanced at the lad to see how he was faring even as his fist plowed into the face of another Vampire. He had to smile when he saw the boy grinning bravely. It was something he himself would have done if not for the events of the last couple of months. Dean's smile was infectious, and soon Jack was grinning devilishly and chattering condescendingly at the Vampires. He continued to keep an ear out to Dean, his men, and the rest of their people, however, and couldn't help wondering why Will was beating his fists against the wall though he didn't have time to look and didn't want to question his beloved's sanity now of all times. Besides, he thought with another flash of a grin and another jab that only delayed the inevitable, sometimes it was best, and definitely easier, to not be sane at all.

Despite both Jack's and Dean's brave fronts, they knew they were doomed. No one would come to their rescue. There had been those brave enough to go out, Dean was now telling Jack, to try to fight off the oncoming horde, not realizing how great the enemy was. They had tried to keep it quiet. They had been the ones thrown back into the vessel.

There had been no movement from any of them save Angel. Could they be dead? Dean wondered. He knew that one of them had been a Werewolf and would have been more than a match for a few Vamps. The fact that he now lay crumpled on the floor told him just how great their enemy was.

* * *

Hook had given his own battle cry when the Vampires had first started pouring into the ship. He had kept on one side of Smee, and Lacey had moved quickly to the other. Zora had turned quickly. She had heard Lacey's comment that her new stripes of black and orange were "definitely your color, honey," but had ignored the blonde and had ran off from the others while the transformation was still happening. Lacey had looked after the girls' retreating back in surprise and only then realized that Vang was already gone. "Some family," she clucked disapprovingly.

It was at that moment that the first Vampire chose to make its move on them. James met him with an uppercut to the stomach, his hook slicing straight through the flesh. He wrapped his hook around a few entrails and snatched them out. The Vampire's knees buckled, and James chose that moment to enlighten his cousin. "They have to get to their children!"

Lacey's mouth fell open at those words. Her eyes darted toward her cousin, who was now a blur of action as he continued to fight the Vampire that refused to go down despite the amount of intestine that dangled out of the hole that Hook had cut. "You mean . . . " Her eyes turned to roam the ship in search of Connor or his girlfriend in shock. "Aren't they a bit _young_ to have children, James?"

Any response James made, however, was lost on Lacey as she and Smee were suddenly moved upon. She leapt into the air, and her long legs kicked out, delivering swift kicks to the jaw of the Vampire in front of her and the groin of the Vampire behind. She kicked off her heels as she landed, grabbed both, and struck out again at the first Vampire while the one behind them still gripped his groin. She blocked his advances before embedding the heel of one of her shoes into his forehead. As the Vampire screamed and fell back, desperately trying to pull the shoe out of its forehead, she turned in a whirl of skirts and met the one who was now rushing her from behind with a roundhouse kick to the face.

James and Lacey continued doing their very best to fight the oncoming enemy and kept Smee well protected between the two of them. Hook sliced through several guts, but to his growing dismay, it didn't even slow the enemy down. He longed for his sword but had no idea where it had gone.

"I LOVE YOU, SMEE!" he called boldly to his partner. "IF WE DON'T MAKE IT OUT OF THIS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT FOR A FACT! NEVER DOUBT MY LOVE! I'LL LOVE YOU FOR ALL ETERNITY! STAY CLOSE TO ME!"

He barely glanced at his cousin, Lacey, who had abandoned all priorities of being a lady and was fighting the oncoming Vampires with her long fingernails. She did not seem to be holding up much better.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, JAMES!" Smee was shaking all over but trying not to let it show despite the loud banging of his quivering knees. He longed for a weapon, for a way to fight the oncoming Vampires but had nothing. Oh, if only they'd still had their magick! But as it was, they had nothing, and his short, portly body was certainly not made for fighting. He chewed his dull and broken fingernails feverishly whilst racking his brain for a way, any way, that he could truly help.

Lacey longed for the protection of the seven men who had been so strong and courageous in their quest to find her cousin. She wondered where they had ran off to now and tried to spot them between struggles. They had seemed to know what they were doing and had not spooked too completely at the horde of enemies that had been following her dear cousin and the other Pirates he'd acquainted himself with, but that had been when they had known she had money to pay them for their struggles. Were they abandoning them now that they undoubtedly thought her poor, their belongings having been washed away in the wreck? She needed to find them, Lacey realized. She could easily talk Chris and Ezra into their protection, and Josiah . . . Surely he had not given up? Surely the strong, brave preacher was not the type to jump ship at what she tried failingly to tell herself was only a few pissed off Vampires?

* * *

Kurt had been trying to figure out why he had such a sense of foreboding ever since he had opened his eyes. Something was after them. Something evil was coming. But things had been happening too fast and he had not had a chance to check it out. Now they were under attack yet again! What could he do to protect his family? He could bamf Kitty out of there, but where would be safety? He knew nothing of Tortuga.

He was not surprised to see Cable, Ray, and Domino already fighting the cretins who were attacking them. Rachel's brother and his lady partner each wielded big guns, and they leveled their guns at the Vampires and shot them repeatedly out of the air. Kurt knew that normal bullets would cause a Vampire no harm, but whatever they were shooting tore into the Vampires, splattered their flesh and blood, brought bone-chilling screams out of them, and sent them spiraling toward the deck in defeat. Rachel had no such weapon, but Kurt knew her biggest and best weapon was her mind. He watched as her green eyes zeroed in on an opponent, and seconds later, time and again, they were knocked out of the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw 'Heed blasting fire on the Vamps.

Despite their group's valiant efforts, the Vampires continued to come, and they could not fend them all off. Kurt watched as his beloved Kitty raced across the air to meet an oncoming Vampire who had slid pass Ray's, Cable's, and Domino's defenses while they had been busy with others. Though she had no weapon, she flew bravely into the Vampire, her fists and feet raining blows upon that Vampire that would have easily felled any lesser a foe.

Kurt unconsciously jumped as a strange bolt of power shot out from mere inches away. He whirled around to see who was now attacking and smiled uncertainly at the sight he was met with. Urian was even more confused than he was, but Janeesa had wrapped her arms around him and placed her hands over his. The bolt Kurt had just witnessed decimate an on-rushing Vampiress into a pile of soot could only have come, he surmised, from the strange trident the couple clutched. He had to smile at the look in Janeesa's eyes. Despite the worry, confusion, and fear in her man's eyes, the redheaded mermaid's eyes burned with fiery determination.

Screams caught at Kurt's ears, and he whirled toward them to find himself looking at the strange paddocks that lined both walls of the ship. The animals were trapped, he realized, and easy targets for the Vamps. Kurt could not stand that thought. He began bamfing to each of the holding areas and releasing the gates, allowing the animals their freedom.

* * *

Angel sized up the situation, knowing there was no way they'd make it out the door to Ola's. "WE NEED TO GET THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM!" he called to Jack.

Jack returned, "AYE! GET THEM TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM WITH US ON THE OUTSIDE!"

Neither of them let on but knew what the other one was speaking of: get the weaker ones into the middle of the room, the stronger ones on the outside. The fighters might stand a chance to hold most of the Vampires off. How long before daylight, or was it day already and the rain was covering it so much that no one could tell? Would some one come to their rescue? Angel knew that Spike had gone to Ola's. Would Ola send help? Angel could only pray that she would.

Buck knew that Chris' gun was special to be used against Vampires. He reached down and touched his friend, who was breathing shallowly. He hoped that he was man enough to handle the gun. It had been especially made for Chris. He reached out, pried the gun from his friend's hand, and began to drag Chris' body into the center of the group.

He was about half way to his destination when he felt a force pulling against him. He whirled to snarl at the Vampiress who was clinging to Chris' legs and trying to pull his best friend out of his grasp. "GET OFF OF HIM, YA BLOOD-SUCKING FIEND!" He was in the process of leveling the gun at his enemy while simultaneously pulling Chris when he suddenly felt his load lightened and a bullet soared through the Vampiress' forehead. She turned, with a snarl, on Ezra, whose derringer was still smoking.

Buck gasped in surprise as a second later, the Vampiress Ezra's bullet had blown a hole through the forehead of exploded. "DIDN'T KNOW YA HAD ONE O' THOSE, EZ!" He didn't have to ask where his friend had gotten the gun. He knew it could only come from Ola and felt another pang of remorse at the realization that even Ezra had one of the woman's special guns but he had yet to be given one. He would have bought one long ago, if they had been buyable.

Josiah and Nathan took Chris from Buck's protective arms and, between the two of them and with Buck and Ezra watching protectively over them, easily carried him into the center circle. Josiah moved to the outer circle. His hand went reassuringly to the gun that rode his hip. It, too, was a special present from Ola, and he was thankful he had it. She had given him and Chris both one at the same time. They were part of a matching set. Some of their party had protection from Ola, and some, like Buck, had yet to win her favor. He hoped the gun that he saw Buck holding would not explode in his friend's hand.

He glanced meaningfully at Nathan. Nathan didn't have a weapon. He didn't want to have to tell him to get in the center, but he didn't have to worry because Nathan was already about the protection business. Josiah smiled as he saw Nathan slip an amulet around Chris' neck and proceed to mumble a few words above him while shaking a talisman.

* * *

Jack wanted Will in that center circle so badly, but he couldn't think of any way to get him in there. Before Elizabeth's demise, he could have gotten him in there to watch over her. He could order him in there, but since Will was his co-Captain, his orders were meaningless and he knew Will would take it as such. He smiled at him, his eyes going toward the center circle but never saying a word.

The minute Jack moved to allow Will a chance at slipping out from the barrier that Dean and Jack had made to protect their loves, Will stopped trying to find a loose board in the workings of the vessel and eagerly took advantage. Sam quickly followed suit, but both men stopped beside their loves and began to meet the Vampires with their fists. Both longed for a weapon and wished they could have found a way to pull out one of the boards, but both were also determined to stand by their men and do as much to protect them as their men had been doing to protect them.

Sam heard Dean groan beside them but only shook his head at his attempt to persuade him to go to the center of the circle. "I LOVE YOU, DEAN!" he shouted bravely for all to hear. "AND I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

Dean glanced at Sam ruefully. "I LOVE YOU! GO IN THE CIRCLE PLEASE?" he pleaded even though Sam would never abandon him. "I JUST WANT YOU TO BE SAFE!"

"I'LL GO IN THERE WHEN YOU GO IN THERE!"

"I'M NOT GOING, LOVE!" His hands ached for a weapon. If only! he thought despairingly and began to pray for the daylight to come.

"THEN NEITHER AM I!" Sam responded with a determined shake of his head.

Jack heard their conversation and knew that his hands were tied just as much as Dean's were. They could not forcibly put their loves into the protective circle.

* * *

Cole had been following behind Prue along with Piper, trying to reach Jareth so that he would conjure Brendan some clothes when they had been attacked. Now the need was long gone, and the Vampires were coming out of everywhere. He lobbed energy ball after energy ball at them. His energy balls were only effective enough to explode the Vampires, but most of those that exploded simply pulled themselves back together again. Piper was having the same luck.

Prue was managing to keep the Vampires at bay but only by telekinetically blasting them back. Prue glanced at Brendan. She knew he was extremely powerful but that he didn't stand a chance against so many Vampires. She wanted to throw herself at him and protect him but knew that he would not allow it. She stood, shoulder to shoulder with him, throwing the Vampires back and walking steadily forward to the group that was now clustering in the center of the vessel. They stood, facing outward. Would help come from outside? she wondered. She began to pray for it.

Cole knew he could shimmer out two or three at a time, but he had to have a place of safety to take them. He had not a clue where to take them to. Where was safe? He contemplated that the only possible place of safety left would be Ola's. Would she even still be there? How bad were the Vampires? Could they have already slain his long-time friend? Had they wiped out Tortuga? Was there no help to come, no possible rescue?

**To Be Continued . . . **


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

**Tortuga**

They were coming at them from every which way possible, and as face after face flashed by, she realized more and more that there was no one type of enemy that was attacking them. They could stake them. They could throw holy water at them or hit them with bullets of holy water as several were now doing. They could explode them or catch them on fire. They could pry into their minds and fill their brains with mind-racking pain. But there was no one sure-fire way to stop them all.

What, she wondered fretfully, had gathered together such an enormous amount of Vampires whose types ranged so widely? The possibilities were very limited. She tried to reach her senses beyond the vessel, but the attacks were too swift to allow her time to do so. She was forced to return to fighting and, with a sigh of frustrated regret, tucked Worm into the one area where she knew he would be safe. As his tiny body slid against the tender, taut flesh of her breasts, Delvira resumed her attack in full, lobbing fireballs with both hands at the army of Vampires that seemed to be never-ending. Worm's words of coming inside and meeting the missus floated up to her as she continued to fight.

* * *

A grin burst out on Lacey's face as she, at long last, spotted Josiah. "JAMES," she called to her cousin, "WE HAVE TO GET SMEE IN THAT GATHERING! THEY'LL HELP US PROTECT HIM!"

A part of Smee wanted to argue that he didn't need protecting, and he knew he should be protecting his beloved Captain. Yet how could he possibly fend off Vampires with nothing to use as weapons but his two, little, fat fists? One chubby finger moved instinctively to push his glasses up on his face only to find that they were, of course, not there. Growing ever more beside himself, he began to stammer incoherently.

Lacey stole a glance at the poor man, and her heart ached for him. Fury burned in her belly as she remembered the man he had been and the woman she had been and how terribly the Council had cursed them. She did not even register the anguished cry that poured from her own lungs as she renewed her efforts against the Vampires, kicking the next that rushed her with such strength that she threw him back into the Vampiress behind him. Long fingernails scratched her from behind, and Lacey whirled to meet her newest opponent, her own long fingernails slashing into the Vampiress' face. "Keep your filthy paws off of me!"

* * *

Things were happening too fast, but she had to protect her small family. That thought burned repeatedly into Xena's skull as she continued to fight the Vampires that just kept coming. She had long ago lost count of how many heads she had sliced off, but what was troubling her the most, at the moment, was the fact that she had seen many of the Vampires simply pick up their heads and reattach them to their bodies. She maintained a brave front, however, and was acutely aware of the others' movements as she fought to protect them and the new life she was determined they would forge together.

Gabrielle and Autolycus were putting up brave fronts, as well, as they fought as best they could weaponless against the horde of Vampires. Together with Xena, they had formed a circle around Joxer, who continued trying to revive the unconscious woman who had been thrown through the window.

Xena heard the calls of Angel, Jack, and the others even as she was beginning to think that there was no end to the Vampires who were now attacking them. She chopped off another head and momentarily felled another Vampiress as she called to her family in a strong voice that left no room for argument. "AUTOLYCUS, TAKE JOXER AND THEODORA AND GET TO THE CIRCLE."

"GABRIELLE . . . " She wanted to tell her beloved Gabrielle to go with them to safety but knew, now more than ever before in their current lifetime together, that she would never willingly leave her. She caught her returning chakram and threw it again. "I LOVE YOU!" She jumped into the air and rained a series of kicks up the length of the next Vampire's body before kicking him so hard in the face with her booted foot that he fell back into several of the ones behind him. Xena smiled at the domino effect that that particular group of Vampires had as she landed smoothly onto her feet.

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU!" Gabby told Xena.

Xena smiled gently with a bit of sadness touching her blue eyes. "I KNOW."

"YOU COME TOO!" She had motioned for Autolycus to take Joxer on to the circle. "I JUST NEED TO FIND SOME KIND OF WEAPON; I CAN HELP YOU FIGHT THEM!" She knew Xena would never go to the circle. She also knew that Xena would continue to fight despite the overwhelming odds and that her place was beside her love.

"GO AHEAD OF ME!" she attempted. "I'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU! I PROMISE!"

Gabby glanced at her, disbelievingly, but as she could see no other way out of it, began to follow Autolycus, glancing back over her shoulder to ensure that Xena was coming, as well, because if she didn't follow, Gabby had no intention of leaving her. She quickened her pace toward the center of the circle as it appeared that Xena was indeed trying to follow. Gabby knew she was only doing it half-heartedly and had every intention of continuing to try to fight their vast horde of enemies.

* * *

She had been lost inside Salem's vast mind when the attack had began, and it was only now, as she slowly and carefully withdrew from his brain, that she became aware of the cacophony of a battle. When her eyes opened, her mouth dropped open in surprise for it appeared that all around them a war raged and yet neither she nor Salem had been touched! As her eyes sought the answer to the riddle, they fell upon the backside of Sean Cassidy, the very same Irish man who infuriated her and yet who she had come to fall in love with so greatly that the loss of him had left her aching for death.

He stood strong in front of them, his shoulders squared, his feet spread apart and planted firmly upon the deck, and a scream erupting from his mouth the likes of which she could not remember ever hearing before. It ripped at her ears and made Salem's feline body tremble unconsciously from the pain that tore savagely at his ears. She ran her hands comfortingly over his fur without even realizing what she was doing until she was already well into the process of doing so.

Her first thought was to tell Sean to shut his yap, but then she realized, as she watched the Vampires' reactions to his scream through big, blue eyes that it was his mouth that had been keeping the Vampires off of Salem and herself. The scream was so powerful that it shook the very air and riddled the Vampires with pain. She gathered Salem into her arms as she stood and held a hand gently over his ears in an effort to help the man who was the closest thing she'd ever known to a loving father.

She was mindful of her walk as she slid up beside Cassidy, careful to keep her stride just fast enough to show her interest in the battle but also just slow enough so that he would not think she was rushing to help him and to exude both power and seduction from her walk. "At least you weren't selfish enough to keep them all for yourself," she commented coldly as she stepped into place next to him and immediately began psionically attacking some of the Vampires he was not blowing back.

"Nae, babe. I saved a lot o' 'em fer ye. Have at 'em." He sighed inwardly with relief because the beautiful woman was now up and able to assist them in thwarting their enemy. He had feared for both her and Salem when they had taken the time needed for Salem to reveal their pasts. He wondered just how much she would remember now, but they did not have the time to talk about it.

He turned back from looking at the pair just in time to catch another Vampire who was sailing through the air straight at his head. A sonic scream ripped from his lips, bursting the Vampire apart. Rotting flesh fell down upon Sean, and he swiped angrily away at it. Seconds later, it drew itself back together and formed the same Vampire again. He could make no gain on killing of the enemy because for every one he blew apart, it simply rejoined itself. He feared that they would never get to freedom this day.

* * *

He was seeing through the wolf's eyes. The realization had shocked him so greatly that he could not think straight as he fought, allowing the Werewolf's natural instincts to kick in. He was even more surprised that the wolf seemed to know which of the enemy to fight as it tore Vampire after Vampire apart yet did not lay a single paw on any ally. He was slowly beginning to gather his shocked mind back into control when she stepped into his pathway.

It was just another female Vampire, he'd thought at first, but there was something about this one's eyes. The wolf was frozen, and Brendan realized with spooked clarity that he had stopped fighting and was standing still. The Vampiress seemed to see into his very soul, and he suddenly felt even more vulnerable than he did whenever he stood before his beloved Prue in the nude. The Vampiress' lips curled into a dangerous smile. He did not hear the others calling his name but slowly began to turn toward Prue.

Prue had been fighting just as hard as Brendan had, but she was still aware of the man who stood by her side, gallantly fighting. His wolf form had never bothered her. In fact, she had seemed to be more sensitive to him when he was. Now she felt his hesitation. What was wrong? Why had he simply let the Vampire stand in his face and not attack this one? What made her any different than the rest who had come before her? She looked at Brendan in confusion and found herself snarling at the Vampiress. "Brendan, what's wrong?" She did not take her eyes off the Vampire even as she questioned her beloved's hesitation.

He remained silent at first, the man inside him fighting with the new feelings that were overtaking the wolf and the thoughts that were not his or the Werewolf's and yet plagued the mind they were now sharing. His body took a lumbering step toward Prue. His mind, heart, and soul grew more fearful. A whimper escaped him. The Vampiress snarled, and her eyes narrowed in even more on the Werewolf before her.

Piper had also stopped fighting and was watching Brendan with concern and growing fear for her sister. She stepped up behind Prue, her hand reaching out for her arm. She did not yet grasp her as she knew that Prue would never leave Brendan willingly, but she remained poised and at the ready to do so. Her heart hammered within her chest, and she called nervously to Cole. Was the wolf finally snapping? She prayed that was not the case.

* * *

She hurled fireball after fireball, but they continued to come. Zora, Vang, and Tom fought bravely at their points in the circle they had created around the weaker of their family. She could hear the slashing of their claws, their furious roars, the gnashing of their fangs, and Tom's chattering that sounded far braver than she knew he must feel and knew that the others were doing everything they could to fend off the Vampires that seemed as numerous as beads of water in a typhoon. She knew Captain was just behind her, staying to his place in the circle he had made with Katrina, Celina, Meesy, Sebastian, and Wolfie around the tiny white tiger cubs Zora had rescued what seemed almost a lifetime ago, and she knew just as much that he wanted to be on her shoulder fighting the Vampires as determinedly as she now was. She was thankful he kept his position, however, and prayed that they would be able to maintain the outer defense as long as it took.

Even as she continued fighting the Vampires that rushed their small circle, Kat kept a watchful gaze after her beloved Ace as he ran from paddock to paddock, releasing the animals caged therein and telling them to get to them. She longed to be able to be everywhere at once but knew it was impossible. She did her best to cover not only Ace and the rest of their family but also every animal he freed. She was surprised to note that the Vampires were not going after the animals anywhere near as much as they were going after them, even though they were, by far, the easier pickings. These Vampires, Kat realized, had a plan, but just what was their devious plan and who was their leader?

* * *

She had backed against the wall with Reeko on her shoulders and the other Indian girl behind her. She remained in a fighting stance yet, at the same time, pleaded with the Great Father that she not be noticed by the unending sea of Vampires. She had no weapons and knew that hands and feet would not keep the enemy at bay for more than a few seconds if they were to come after her. She wondered fearfully where her dear friend Jacob had gone to and knew he would have been there to help protect them if he had been able. Her big, brown eyes roamed the sea of bodies, but she did not see a single face she could trust amongst the hordes of white men and Vampires. She shivered inwardly yet struggled to keep her fear down, knowing that they could smell fear like a wolf.

They could indeed smell fear, and it was not long before several eyes were drawn in the young native girl's direction. They moved upon her stealthily but steadily. She saw them coming and was preparing for her final fight when something big, blue, and furry dropped down directly in front of her.

She took another step back, nearly stepping on the girl whose unconscious body they had moved to place between them and the wall. Her mind flashed back to when they had done so, and she wondered again over the strange, tiny light that had seemed so determined to stand in their way of protecting the girl. It had almost seemed to be trying to tell them something, but the swift attack of the Vampires had left them with no time to discuss the matter and she had swatted the light away and not seen it since.

The young, dark-skinned woman was just beginning to fret over which was the greater danger -- the Vampires or the blue, furry being in front of them -- when the Vampires rushed forward. Big Blue met their attacks while calling over its shoulder in a decidedly masculine voice, "Do not fear, young maiden, for I pledge to protect you and your comrades from the forthcoming, infinite horde of homo lamia and their deadly, voracious appetites while there still exists a breath of life in Mama McCoy's bouncing baby boy!"

The length of his strange, prattling words spooked her even more, and the young woman who had proclaimed her name to be Dove when faced with the disgusting white boy who was even stranger than the thing now before her nearly fell over Tiger Lily's unconscious body in her effort to back away further. Reeko screeched his anger, swearing that he would do in the big, blue monster if he could just get his claws on him, but "Dove" stilled the raccoon with gentle, hushed words as she saw the Beast throwing off attacker after attacker.

* * *

Prue reached out, touching Brendan gently. "It's all right," she reassured him. "I am with you. You are not alone." She wondered if he would be able to snap out of it and if perhaps the Vampiress was working some kind of spell on him. She still had not taken her eyes off of the Vampiress and wondered why it had not attacked yet.

Cole heard Piper's worried call. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he should lob an energy ball at Brendan. He was acting weird. Was he about to attack the girls? He continued to watch, ready to launch his own attack upon Brendan if need be, even as he continued fighting the Vampires. There seemed to be a never-ending supply of the bastards.

Piper's mind was racing. She ached to scream at her sister for having touched him, but she fought down the panicked urge, knowing that Prue would never take kindly to it. "Prue, please," she pleaded, "come away from him. Something's wrong. He's not . . . " She shook her head. "I don't think he's in his right mind now. Something is majorly wrong. Please, please, Prue, come away." Yet even as she pleaded with her one remaining sister, Piper knew that Prue would never willingly leave Brendan.

He fought even more inside himself, his claws and fingernails curling and his body taut and tight underneath Prue's touch. He whimpered again, but then it was too late as the wolf lashed out. He struck Prue's hand away from his face, and his claws and fists moved toward her with the speed of lightning. The Vampiress cackled, grinning from ear to ear and very pleased with herself.

* * *

He didn't know which way to go but was determined to stand his ground even as the Vampires continued to pour into every nook and cranny of the ship. They ran at their people. They slithered across the floor and climbed over the walls and ceiling. Some even flew. It was as one of the fliers dove at him that Hansel ceased his continual prattle of insults at the Vampires and fell back.

Chong turned from the battle he had already been raging against the oncoming Vampires to flip to his beloved Hansel's defense. His hands chopped against either side of the Vampiress' neck, but it was his foot striking her middle that knocked her from the air. He came down on top of her, repeatedly punching her until he felt her go limp and then turned to meet their next attacker.

Meanwhile, Hansel pulled against Derek's tugging hand. "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" he yelled at his lover who was determinedly trying to pull him toward the circle the other Pirates were making. "I'M NOT LEAVING HIM!"

"I'M COMING TOO!" Chong told him. "BUT YOU AND DEREK ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS STRONG A FIGHTER AS I AM. PLEASE GO TO THE CIRCLE, HANSEL! I PROMISE TO BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" Even as he talked, he was punching another Vampire with all his might and wishing he had a wooden stake so that he could drive it through the blood sucker's heart. "HURRY, HANSEL! THE SOONER YOU'RE THERE, THE SOONER I'LL BE HAVING PROTECTION ON BOTH SIDES!"

Hansel shook inwardly, but his fear was more for his beloved Chong than it was for himself. He hesitated as he listened to Chong, still grinding the heels of his boots into the wooden floor and refusing to go with Derek. "PROMISE?" he demanded.

Derek ducked and snatched Hansel down with him as another Vampiress flew at them. She missed her mark and flew straight into Chong's high kicking foot. "_Damn!_" Derek hissed. "Why is it we always attract all the bitches?!"

The Vampiress caught his words and turned to look at him with an angry snarl, but Chong struck her again. "I PROMISE, HANSEL!" Chong called to him as he roundhouse kicked the Vampiress so hard that her head separated from her body. Goo flew everywhere. The head rolled on the floor, hissing. Saliva drooled from her mouth, and blood splattered all over Chong. "RUN, HANSEL! I CAN'T STAND MUCH MORE OF THIS! _YUCK!_" he hollered even as he began to run backwards. He wondered, too, why every time he turned around, bitches kept showing up. The world seemed to have a never-ending supply!

He sighed with relief when they reached the circle. He found himself standing next to Captain Sparrow, who did not seem to be even breaking a sweat. He wondered how he managed to be so brave during all circumstances. He had never once seen Jack lose his cool during a battle, but Jack was now talking to himself.

"Bitches. They never stop coming! Oh, Aphrodite, where are You?! Why are You being so bitchy to me?! Oh, for a weapon! Any kind of weapon! I think I broke a fingernail."

Chong turned to look at Jack, who was staring at his middle finger from which hung a piece of Vampire slime. "Will, I think I broke it." Chong was very hard pressed not to start laughing despite their dire circumstances. Was the Captain actually losing it?!

* * *

Jareth was fighting a losing battle. He knew it, but he could not get Delvira to safety. She was ignoring him, lost in her own world of attacking. He had tried desperately to conjure a wooden stake and had wound up with a well-done steak that he had to drop because its heat burned right through his glove. He had tried to conjure a sword but instead received a bouquet of daffodils. He had shaken his head in disgust and thrown them from him.

He could not even conjure a single wooden stake! He was more disgusted with himself than any other time he could remember in his long existence except for when he had copulated with Helvira. His mind was so jumbled he couldn't straighten it out, and he feared that some one had put a spell upon him, probably that dying bitch, Melinda, and he could do nothing to save himself or his beloved wife.

Worm was going to pieces. He could hear him muttering from Delvira's dress. "Come inside! Meet the Missus! Come inside! Meet the Missus!" Jareth could swear that the poor little fellow had finally lost his mind as he kept repeating the same words over and over again.

Didymus had had more than enough. Jareth shook his head in confusion. The poor little fellow was trembling like a leaf and quoting his litany from the bridge as slime poured down upon him, interspersing with frantic yipping which hurt Jareth's ears. He wanted to grab the little bugger around the throat and squeeze until Didymus shut up.

He did not know what to do and feared that Delvira was completely lost to him. He tried talking to her again, but his words fell upon stoned, deaf ears. He wanted to sweep them all up inside his capes and carry them off to a much safer and protected place, but he couldn't remember the words to do it. If he had been able, he would have sat on the floor and cried, but instead he had to keep fighting.

His fingernails were all jagged. His gloves were in tatters. His heart was breaking as he feared the loss of his family, and he was powerless to stop it. Stinking Vampire flesh fell down upon them as Jareth continued to tear at them with his fingernails. He could not even think straight enough to transform into his dragon form, not that that would have saved them. No, they were doomed! Doomed, doomed! He screamed his frustrations out to the world.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

**Tortuga**

He stood alone against the army of Vampires, his hands balled into tight fists, his teeth gritted in determination, and the thought that he was the only thing standing between them and the mirror, which was his only access to his beloved Clark and their adopted daughter, Sarah, pounding a rhythm into his brain. He might well die fighting against such an enormous amount of powerful enemies, but he would go out fighting. For just a second, a thought flicked through his brain. He could run. He could turn around, tell Phillip to cease his feminine screaming and show him Clark, and jump through his glass to his beloved, but that would abandon the others and leave them to be killed. If he did that, Clark would blame himself, and he would never forgive himself. Therefore, that was not an option, and so he stood his ground and did his best to fight the Vampires.

He was in the process of hitting yet another Vampire when he was attacked from behind. Long, sharp fingernails that were far closer to being claws than nails ripped into his shoulders. He struggled to break free, but the Vampiress held him tight and lifted him from the floor. His feet swung wildly as the other Vampire moved back in, but it avoided most of his blows rather effortlessly. What few blows Lex did manage to strike the Vampire with resulted in little damage; the creature did not even have the decency to fall back at all!

A great rustling of what seemed oddly like paper sounded, and then a familiar voice broke out over Phillip's screaming. "UNHAND HIM, YOU RUFFIAN!" the Book cried as it jumped for the Vampiress . . . and missed. The Vampires laughed at Daniel's feeble attempts, but then, at last, the Book managed to jump high enough. He closed his cover around the Vampiress' head again and again as he did his best to hit her.

Though the Vampiress screeched and cursed the enchanted Book, she did not release Lex. He redoubled his own efforts to break free and kick the Vampire. He hit him several times, but then the Vampire caught his foot. He grinned sickeningly at Lex and began to twist the end of his leg.

Gunshots reverberated through the ship along with the other sounds of the battle, but one bullet sailed close to Lex and straight into the back of the Vampiress. She exploded into a shower of dust, and the Book dropped to the floor. The Vampire still clutched his leg, however, and so it was that Lex was unable to spot his savior even as the man in the red jacket aimed again at another Vampire, who, this time, was attacking one of his own and fired his derringer.

Lex kicked the Vampire's chest, but the creature refused to relinquish his grip on him. He twisted his leg further, bringing a yell of pain from his prey, but then the end of a sharp piece of wood suddenly appeared through his heart. Lex smiled the second he knew he had been saved, but the smile was gone almost as fast as it had appeared, disappearing even as the Vampire exploded and he found himself looking into the blue eyes of a long-time friend. "Your timing could have been a little better."

"Stop complaining, Luthor," she shot back, "and just be glad I got here when I did." Her eyes turned from him almost immediately, and he followed her gaze to where her lover was carrying Carlos toward the circle. They both tensed as a Vampire charged Andrew, but both relaxed and silently thanked the big, white man with the gun for the quick save.

A voice resounded in their heads as Rachel told Trina and Andrew, Go. Get the mirror to safety. We'll cover you.

Ray watched as Lex and Trina hurried to save the mirror and barely glanced at Kitty when her best friend told her, "Get your mother and the girls to safety, Ray."

Domino nodded her agreement as she fired again, once more striking down yet another Vampire only to have others run faster toward them. "We'll cover you."

The girls? Rachel pondered for a split second before realizing that Kitty was indicating Tessa and Janeesa. A grimace flashed over her face. She hoped they wouldn't take it as an insult but knew that she would have!

* * *

"JD, why in the Hell are you beating Vin?! I'll help you drag him over to the circle. You really think he wants to wake up and see what's going on?" Buck asked as he scratched his head, looking intently at the Kid to see if he had lost his mind completely.

JD barely glanced at his lover as he slapped Vin yet again. "Buck, there's a lot you don't know about Vin." That was certainly an understatement for although they had all grown as close as brothers and some even closer throughout the centuries, Vin had always remained an enigma to most of the Seven. He was shrouded in mystery, and he had always taken pains to keep it that way to protect the others. Indeed, only three of them knew what the Kid thought to be the gunner's greatest secret. "Find Nathan. Maybe he's got some smelling salts." He slapped Vin again.

Buck caught JD's hand in mid-air. "Don't beat him to death! Take him to the circle! I don't know where we'd get any smelling salts, but I'll find Nathan and ask him if he's got something that will wake him up." He was pretty sure JD was still mad at him for inadvertently screwing up and was taking it out on poor Vin.

JD's eyes met Buck's as he held determinedly to his hand. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" he asked, his big, doe-like eyes growing even bigger. "He did used to say you'd think that, but after everything we've been through together . . . "

"Nah. I don't think you're crazy, Kid. I think you're mad at me still! Just don't take it out on Vin! The guy's not even conscious! He can't defend himself!"

"I'm not mad, Buck, and I'm not trying to take anything out on Vin! We need him awake. He'll stand the best chance of us all at fighting all these Vampires." He looked down at their friend's face, his eyes solemn and intent upon the long-haired Pirate's features as though his stare could somehow will him to awaken.

"Well, then, get him to smell this!" Buck told JD as he dropped a slimy piece of Vampire flesh. "Nothing can stink worse than this!"

JD yelped and shot backwards as though Buck had just dropped a live snake in front of him. He then stilled himself, knowing Buck was right. If the rotten stench of that savaged flesh didn't wake Vin, nothing in their power of attaining could. He braced himself, reached into his pocket, withdrew his sogged handkerchief, grasped the piece of flesh through the handkerchief, and began to wave it enticingly in front of Vin's nose.

Buck stared at JD's slowly waving handkerchief. "You expect him to wake up and eat that?" he asked in confusion. He heard a low moan and looked where Chris was laying.

* * *

Cole lobbed an energy ball and took the Vampiress out. She had done something to Brendan! He didn't know what it was, but Brendan had struck at Prue and Cole knew that Brendan would never hurt Prue. "Freeze him!" he told Piper only to find his command unnecessary for she had already done so.

"Prue!" Piper rushed to hold her sister. "Prue, are you okay?!"

"What's wrong with him?!" Prue's quiet, tearful voice trembled forth from her lips. "He would never hurt me! Why did he try to hit me?!"

Piper's voice was seething and full of hatred as she looked at the spot where the Vampiress had been before Cole had thrown several energy balls into her at once, effectively exploding her pass the point of being able to pull her pieces back together. "That bitch must have done something to him." She rubbed her sister's arms, trying her best to reassure her.

"That has to be it. He'd never harm me willingly." She stood, watching fearfully, for the freeze to wear off of Brendan. If he was still crazy in the head, she'd pound him until she knocked him out, but she loved him too much to ever leave him. She knew that if he found out that he had lashed out at her, he'd never forgive himself despite the fact that he had not been himself at the time that he had done it. He'd still blame himself for it.

Cole continued to fight, keeping a wary eye upon Brendan and hoping that when the boy returned to himself, he'd be his usual self since he had killed the thing responsible for his craziness in the first place.

* * *

Chris' eyes had opened slowly just in time to see and smell the piece of stinking flesh that JD was waving enticingly at Vin. He wondered if Vin would wake up and eat the thing or throw it as far away as he could. He slowly sat up and got to his feet just in time to spot a Vampiress leaping over the heads of those who stood on the outer rim of the circle, fighting to protect the ones they thought weaker than themselves and who they had gathered inside the circle. Nathan fell back as Chris leaped into the air, meeting the Vampiress claw for fist and fang for fang.

* * *

Ace had been talking to the animals for a while. All of the animals had now made it to the circle. He had turned to face the oncoming Vampires, his keen eyes searching for a weapon of any kind and finding none. He had already lost one set of animals that had been like a family to him, and he hesitated upon sending any of them in to fight. He couldn't stand to see another animal killed. Most of them had been hurt in the previous battle and were weak from blood loss, and he didn't think they had it in them to fight any more.

He looked across the ship at his beloved Kat and smiled. "GUESS IT'S A GOOD DAY TO DIE, DARLING! AT LEAST WE'RE TOGETHER!" He wished they were closer, however, but when he had first sent the animals to the small circle of their family, Kat had told them to go to the larger circle. He didn't like that their family was not yet entirely together but understood her reasoning. She believed that more fighters would help to guarantee the animals' safety, but he knew that no one could protect them like he and especially she could. How he wished he could shoot fireballs like she could, but he had nothing but his bare hands!

Familiar chattering called to Ace's ears, and he turned with a hopeful grin to see his dear monkey running on all fours to him. Joy filled Ace's eyes as he gazed at his best animal friend. He reached down, picked the little fellow up, and squeezed him gently. Clyde relished in the hug but then quickly climbed around to his neck and set to holding on tightly, not wanting to distract Ace from the fighting.

Ace wished it had been happier circumstances. He wanted to keep Clyde alive now that he knew that his best friend was still alive. He could not bare to lose him again and wondered if he could convince him to take Captain and the other animals to safety. None of them had been attacked yet by the Vampires. They were too intent on getting to the humans. He heard the piteous cries of the humans who were being attacked by the Vampires and felt that they were having another day in Hell. His heart sank to the bottom of his boots.

* * *

As soon as Andrew had lain Carlos in the center of the circle, he moved to the outer part of the circle. He had never had to do much fighting. The biggest thing he thought might help them would be that he had a cross he wore around his neck. He had never taken it off. He knew that it was empowered. He took it from around his neck, wrapped it around his hand, and began to wave it at the Vampires, trying to push them back.

The first Vampire that he came to shrank away in terror, hoping that the horrible thing on the chain would not touch him, but the ones who came behind him merely laughed and continued to laugh so hard that spittle flew from their mouths, hitting Andrew in the face. "What are you going to do with that? Make us laugh ourselves to death?!"

That was the first indication that something was wrong. The second was when Andrew threw the cross at a Vampire, and though it made contact with the Vampire, it did nothing. It did not even burn a hole in their putrid skin! Andrew looked at it in confusion. He could feel the power in it. Why had it not done anything to these loathsome creatures?!

The Vampires suddenly grew very somber and began to approach Andrew menacingly. Andrew drew back. Why wasn't it working?! It should have worked! He backed up until he could go back no further. He found himself in the center of the ring, and they had come within the ring as well. He had broken that one part of the circle, allowing the enemy to get within. He began to fight, dropping the cross.

He felt himself completely overwhelmed by the enemy and knew he was going down. Where was Trina? Would she make it to him in time, and did she even have anything to stop them with?! He began to pray, hoping that some one was listening and would save him from his own stupidity. Why hadn't the cross worked? He had no idea and feared that he would never know.

* * *

JD barely glanced at Buck. "Buck, I know this looks nuts, but I actually do know what I'm doing." It was at that moment that Vin's eyes flashed open. His irises were not their normal color but instead flickered yellow. He jumped from the floor and grabbed the piece of Vampire flesh JD was dangling. The Kid let the flesh and his handkerchief go and jumped up and away from Vin.

"What the _Hell_!?!" Buck questioned no one in particular as the events unfolded in front of his eyes. He didn't know what Vin was, but he definitely wasn't human at the moment! He seemed to be changing right before his very eyes! "Huh, Kid . . . Is there something you ain't been telling me?" Buck questioned and clutched Chris' gun even tighter in his hand. He still hadn't gotten the balls up to shoot it. He was afraid to, but if Vin attacked him, he'd use the butt of it to try to stop him. "Just what the Hell is he?!?"

JD took Buck's trembling questions and Vin's swift transforming calmly, his lips forming a tiny smile in fond memory. "Has it really been that long since we fought one, Buck?" He reached out and placed his hand on his beloved's gun hand. "Don't. He's still Vin."

Vin stood sniffing the air as dark fur quickly spread over his body. He seemed to grow even larger as the transformation into wolfman neared its completion. JD stepped aside, pushing Buck ahead of him, and Vin ran pass them and straight into a group of oncoming Vampires, his fangs and claws slashing angrily away into their enemies.

"I'll be _damned_!" Buck managed to get out even as he held tightly on to JD and headed for the circle. He wanted JD in that circle where he'd be safe and almost broke and ran when Chris jumped into the air, fighting the other one. Snarling filled the air, and his heart almost stopped in his throat. If you can do _that_, Buck thought, what in the _Hell_ do you need a gun for?! The Vampiress' screaming head landed in front of Buck's feet, and he screamed and ran into the circle.

JD grinned proudly up at Larabee. He had always known their leader still had it in him and had often tried to talk the others into returning to the old ways. Now, at last, Fate had given them a new twist, and this time, they could no longer deny their true natures. He sighed inwardly as his eyes returned to Buck. His poor man certainly was having a hard time readjusting. He looked at him in growing concern. "You _do_ still remember, don't you, love?"

"I never knew Vin had it! I knew Chris did! You tell me! What the _Hell_ does he need this gun for," his hands were shaking even as he continued to hold the gun, "when he can do _that_!?! I certainly hope I never piss him off!" He grabbed JD and held him tight.

"Buck . . . " JD's voice was calm and soothing, and his touch was as gentle as a father stroking his child, much as Buck's had been centuries ago when JD had first been adjusting to the magick that was all around them. "You didn't know about Vin, but you've known about Chris for far longer than I have and you know about all the rest of us. You know what you used to be capable of doing, and still would be if not for their accursed hides. It's going to be okay. But, hum, maybe you should put the gun down? Before you accidentally pull the trigger?"

He gave the gun to JD, but he didn't let go. Yes, he remembered. He knew when Chris had been bitten. He just . . . He told himself, He just didn't remember Chris being so violent! In all the time he had known Chris, he had never known Chris to bite the head off of an enemy! He was intent to stay inside the circle and let the others do the fighting. After all, he was a lover! He'd never been meant for fighting, and this was the worst fight he'd ever seen! He wished he could run away from it but knew he would never live with himself if he did. Pulling himself together, he looked to see where the rest of the party had gotten themselves off to.

* * *

Trina had kept her eyes focused upon her beloved Andrew the entire time she had been running with Lex, Daniel, and Phillip under the cover of the red-coated and white-haired strangers' guns. She was amazed by the stranger's tiny gun. Though it was so small and compact, it seemed to hold as much power, if not more, than the bigger guns as it exploded Vampire after Vampire into smithereens.

Still, her gaze stayed on Andrew, and so it was that she saw when he pulled the cross on the Vampires. Her heart felt dead and her stomach sickened in that moment. Her gut rolled with negativity, and a scream was already bursting forth from her lungs when the Vampires began laughing.

Tears touched her eyes as her scream of "NO!" reverberated through the ship, speaking the simple thoughts of every one of their party. No, this couldn't be happening again! No, they couldn't be about to lose those few they had managed to hold on to throughout everything they had been put through in the last few days! No, those she loved -- the man she loved -- could not be about to die!!!

Trina was about to drop the mirror when Xena raced pass her, throwing her chakram and yelling at her. "NO! TRINA, STAY WITH LEX! GET DANIEL TO SAFETY! WE CAN'T LOSE HIM!" The Warrior Piratess knew what the young woman was thinking, and she knew exactly how to get her to listen to reason. "I'VE GOT ANDREW! SAVE THE MIRROR! WITHOUT IT, THERE MAY BE NO WAY TO RESCUE YOUR BROTHER!"

Trina stopped, terror flashing even more across her face. She should be with Andrew, fending off the Vampires, keeping her love alive, but she had seen Xena in battle and knew she was a far better fighter than nearly any one else she'd ever come across before. Indeed, only one could touch Xena's skill at fighting, and her Captain was not here. Trent. The mirror was the only way she could find Trent, only way she could save him. Lex was talking swiftly now, reiterating the same thing that Xena had told her. They were right. She knew they were right. But Andrew . . .

She suddenly felt the load of the mirror and book lightened, and her surroundings snapped back into focus at the sound of a gentle German accent. "Go. Go, fraulein, now vhile zere's still a chance to save him."

Trina looked into the caring yellow eyes of the blue-faced man before her, and a ghost of a smile chased across her lips. Her blue eyes spoke the thanks her lips couldn't seem to form, and she split from the group, running as fast as she possibly could.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

**Tortuga**

Will was aching for a way, any way, to get Jack out of the fight, and he knew his love was swiftly losing his grip on sanity, a grip that had always been fragile. "Maybe you should get him to see to it?" he suggested with a voice that sounded far more hopeful than he felt. As he spoke, he jerked his head toward the center of the circle where an African man he didn't know was steadily moving from one injured to the next, checking on each of them and performing what the blacksmith could only surmise was a spell upon each unconscious individual.

Sam had ended up next to Will, and his eyes kept darting to Will's conversation with Jack even as he fought the Vampires off of his brother and himself. He barely knew the two men, but it would have been obvious to any one that Jack, whose hat bespoke the position of Captain, was steadily losing his sanity. He kept part of his mind on the fight, but the other part was hurriedly trying to figure out a way that he could help Will get his lover into the area that was passing for safety when yells rang out.

His head whipped to look behind him, and his stomach grew queasy with impounding nerves as he saw that the protective circle had been broken and that Vampires were steadily pouring pass their barricade. And still they had not the first weapon. He again thought of the others' weapons he had witnessed being used and wondered how his father had missed out on collecting such an awesome gun.

* * *

Xena ran until she saw Autolycus reach out and pull Gabrielle into the circle. Then she flipped up into the air and over the others' heads, her battle cry pouring from her lips. She came down on top of the spot where Andrew had just been knocked to the floor and drew her chakram through the surprised Vampire's neck. As he fell, his head rolling off to where a dark-skinned man kicked it from the circle, Xena landed more fully, one foot on either side of Andrew's legs.

She stepped in front of the fallen Angel and gestured for the other Vampires to come forward. As the first moved forward, she threw her chakram and began pounding the lead Vampire with her bare hands and feet. Her hands moved almost as swiftly as her spinning chakram as it cut through a head, flew through the room, bounced off of an angle, and came back to slice through another head. Xena jumped into the air and kicked the Vampire in the chest. As he fell back into his brethren, she caught her chakram, threw it again, and returned to fighting the lead.

Trina came on to the scene from behind the Vampires and immediately began fighting. She staked two before being caught by a flier. The Vampiress lifted the human woman into the air and began to fly away with her. "REMEMBER: HE WANTS AS MANY ALIVE AS POSSIBLE!"

"That's going to be a little hard," Xena snapped as she disposed of one Vampire and moved to another, "when what he'll be getting back is his already-dead minions!" She threw her chakram again, and it spiraled through the air to slice into the neck of the Vampiress who was carrying Trina. As Trina fell, Xena stood her ground over Andrew and hoped some one else would catch the falling girl. At the same time, she wondered who had sent this seemingly never-ending horde of Vampires and prayed that her words, which were only a show of bravado, would turn out to be true.

* * *

One break in the circle was all it had taken, and now the others were as vulnerable and exposed as she, James, and Samuel were. Lacey wanted to cry, but she fought down the tears stubbornly and continued to fight despite the fact that she had no idea where to lead them to now. She saw a flash of firing red that she knew had to be Ezra and thought, for a split second, of asking for his help but knew that none would be coming from him. Though a gentleman, he had showed her just how prejudiced he was the last night they had spent on board the Magnificos and she knew he would rather drown himself in acid than be anywhere near her.

They were alone, Lacey knew, as she and James had so often been, as he and Smee had been for centuries. Then a sparkle of light zoomed and zipped around them, throwing off the Vampires that had been attacking them and humming loudly. The hum almost seemed to be words of some sort, but Lacey could not make anything coherent out of them though she noted Smee's hands were wringing together even more now.

* * *

They were going down. She didn't want to think it, but she couldn't help thinking it as she heard the sounds of the others in the barricade they had formed around the animals that Ace was steadily sending over now that the other circle had been broken. Their circle had grown to be even larger than the one set up to save the two-leggers that they had been trying to angle toward, but there were far fewer of them standing here to protect the animals than there was in the larger group.

She heard an occasional hiss from Zora which told her that although the young woman had been hurt bad, her determination was still as fiery as her own and she was doing everything she could to refuse to go down. Vang's growls were growing rapidly more savage, and she knew the savagery was only there to hide his pain. Tom had actually fallen silent save for the slicing sounds his claws made.

None of the four noticed the mist that was sweeping in between them and growing around their feet until it was too late for the mist had become Vampires and the Vampires had turned on them from inside their protective circle. Even then, most of them did not go after the animals. They moved, instead, after those who were determined to protect them, attacking them from behind.

"ACE, GET BACK TO THE CIR -- " Kat's words to Ace were cut off by a pair of icy cold hands wrapping around her throat. Her fists shot back, and two fireballs exploded into the Vampire's gut. He screamed as he exploded, but the screams of her family were all around them.

Vang roared his anguish as first his daughter and then himself were attacked. He was pounced on by two simultaneously, one from the front and one from behind, the latter of which he could not, for the life of him, figure out how they had gotten into the circle. The tigers ripped into those who attacked them, roaring at the top of their lungs and ripping into them with everything they had left.

Tom was the first to break the hold on him, and he whirled around to fight only to see that another Vampiress was moving upon his wife and sister-in-law. He bowed his head and used the greatest power he had in his current form. His big, green eyes bore into the Vampiress whose intent was to kill him, but somewhere deep within her, something stirred. Her fangs vanished, returning to normal teeth. Her face shifted to normal. "Aww . . . . " He ducked between her legs and ran, never looking back even when he heard the sounds of another Vampire tearing into their own and the fatal scream of the Vampiress who his charm had just worked a miracle on.

Kat whirled around to see the others under attack, but before she could go to help them, she was under attack again. The Vampiress jumped her from behind, wrapping her legs around her and tearing into her throat. A name was called, and Kat vaguely heard the warning that some one wanted them alive even as she shot fire at the one who rode her back. The Vampiress stayed clinging to the pyrokinetic even as first her dress and then her skin were burned away. Blood poured down Kat's throat.

Tom leapt into the air, all twenty of his claws unsheathed, but the Vampiress who was after his family saw his approach. She avoided Katrina's and Celina's claws, grabbed their throats instead, and bashed their heads together. She flew out from under Tom's attack, leaving him to land on the floor and yowl his anguish as he could not reach her. He chased after them, flipping through the air, but still could not reach them.

Zora threw off her attacker and raced to defend her father, who was sinking lower and lower onto the deck, only to have another Vampire jump into her face. Her fangs sank into his leg, and she chewed swiftly. As soon as she had severed his leg, she darted forward, but her father was already being carried off . . .

* * *

James swatted his hands through the air, trying to grab Tinker Bell. He could make very little sense out of what she was saying. Her voice was so high-pitched and excitable that her words were running together. He could not make out what she was trying to tell him. Finally, he held his one hand up where she could land on it. "What is wrong, Miss Bell?" he asked in a kind voice. "You can fly away from this! You can get to freedom, and you'd best be taking your little Fairy butt to safety!"

With James distracted and Smee painfully vulnerable, it fell to Lacey to stand as their protection. She stepped to the front, hoping that James would be able to peel his mind away from the pestering light which, oddly enough, did indeed seem to be talking from where it had lighted upon James' hand. They were coming fast and hard now, and she realized that they had only been toying with them earlier, toying with them while they bought enough time for the rest of their multitude to reach their vessel. Now the fight was truly under way, but it wasn't a fight. It was a small war, and they meant to turn it into a bloodbath.

Her clothes were pinning her down, keeping her from being able to fight to the utmost of her abilities. She no longer had the time to give fashion its just regard or consider the expectations placed upon a well-bred lady, not if she was going to keep her family safe. She dropped the act entirely and ripped at her skirts. She tore off a layer of cloth, swiftly wrapped a Vampire in it, and then let him rip. As he spun away in a daze, she dropped the skirt and fumbled underneath her dress.

"Why is Tiger Lily here?" Even as he was asking Tink questions, he sliced another Vamp's head off with his hook. He looked at his cousin. "We need to start getting Smee toward the circle. We won't be able to hold our area very long." He was surprised to see her ripping at her clothes and only partially dressed for a lady of her standing.

The wire contraption made a great popping sound as she snatched it free. She struck the next Vampire in the face with her undergarment, then jumped into the air and kicked him in the groin. As he fell back, she threw the undergarment, not noticing that Smee quickly caught the instrument as it was the only thing even remotely resembling a weapon that he'd had a chance to grab, and readied herself again. The Vampire charged; she met him in the face with a resounding punch.

"What do you mean they're taking people alive as hostages?"

She wanted to yell at James as more Vampires were rushing her now and he continued to talk to the light which, she reasoned, could only be a Fairy. "James, I didn't know you played with other faeries!" Her words fell on deaf ears, however, as James was absorbed in his conversation with the tiny twit and defending their backs with his hook. She ducked, narrowly missing being hit by a Vampire whose fist slammed into another's face. She darted sideways, leaving the two males to scuffle and was met with a snarling Vampiress who lunged. She stepped to the side just in time to send the rushing Vampiress falling into the fist-i-cuffing Vampires.

"Who is?"

Another fist swung at her head. She avoided the blow, then shot her own fists into the mid-section of the Vampire. She followed the hits up with a swift roundhouse kick into the groin, then stomped its foot. Claws sliced into her back from behind, ripping at her dress and tearing two large, bloody gashes into her muscular back.

"She says that some one has paid the Vampires to attack us. They're taken prisoners alive, and she doesn't know who it is! We have to get Smee to the circle." Then he could see how bad Lacey was as she stood, gasping for breath between attacks and blood pouring from her back in a river of crimson. "You should be in there too. I will be with you in a minute, Miss Bell, right after we get Smee and Lacey safe."

She ducked another swinging punch and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her knee slammed up into the Vampire's groin. She then chopped his back with her elbow and ran to defend Smee. She slid in between the two just in time, her bleeding back pressing against the ends of her girdle. Smee gasped when he saw how bad her back was and quickly threw the girdle to the floor, not wanting to risk causing her further harm. Lacey avoided the Vampire's right fist, but his left struck her full in the face as he delivered the hit that had been intended for Smee. He struck her again and again, forcing her to back up into Smee but she stood her ground. Lacey groped blindly for the girdle Smee had dropped. Smee grabbed it and placed it into her hands, and she struck the Vampire with it. He fell back against the blow, and she continued striking him.

She blithered into his face again, fluttering madly, and all he could hear was her words, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry before they take her!" He saw the direction she flew off into and, if he had been able, he would have scooped Smee up and ran with him to the circle.

"Hurry _where_?!" Lacey demanded, whirling on her cousin who was finally ready to help again. Blood dropped from her mouth as she glared at him. "The _circle_?!" She threw out a hand toward the area that had offered protection only minutes before. "They're just as screwed as we are!"

It was then that the sound of gunfire reverberated throughout the room as Josiah, who had seen his beautiful Lacey torn all into shreads, leapt into the foray. He had been helping Chris, but Chris was now on his own. He had had fear seize his heart when he had seen Lacey being attacked and had had to reach her side. He ran forward, shooting at Vampires and praying he'd reach her side in time.

He got there just in time to hear James talking about the circle and hearing Lacey's comment about the circle not existing any more. Placing one strong arm around Lacey's stomach, he supported her even as he continued shooting at the Vampires that followed them. He was surprised at how muscular her back was, but it was pouring blood and he had to get her to safety. He didn't know where the rest of his crew were, but he had to get Lacey to Nathan before she bled to death. He scooped her up as though she weighed nothing and ran, looking for his lover and leaving James and Smee to trail behind as best they could.

James took one look at Josiah and Lacey and knew that she was in good hands. He yelled for Smee to come, explaining that they had to go and help some more ladies. Grabbing his lover's hand, he pulled Smee in the direction Tinker Bell had gone.

* * *

They were never going to make it, and now it didn't matter if they did or not as the circle had evil Vampires pouring into it and no longer offered protection. She had been doing all she could, but her arms and legs were pouring blood and she knew she couldn't sustain much more. "Angel . . . " His name broke from her lips like a whimper as she felt the world around her growing dark.

They had waited for this moment, and when it arrived, they moved with astounding speed. Doubled fists plowed into Angel's face even as Cordelia went down, and a flying Vampiress swept the Princess up into her arms and began flying away with her.

* * *

"You can't save him. We smell what he is, what he was. We want him."

"You won't have him!" Xena snapped back, her blue eyes a blaze of persistence.

"Won't we, Warrior Princess? Our kind had you and your mate once. Or have you forgotten that like you have all your other many, many failures?"

Don't listen to him, Xena. She wasn't sure if the voice was hers or a friend's, but Xena knew better than to listen to the web of words the Vampires were weaving around her. They were trying to distract her, lessen her attention, make her slip up . . . "It ain't happening," she growled and returned to fighting even as screams riddled the air.

* * *

She was surprised Tessa hadn't argued. She had expected her to stay just as Janeesa had, her arms still wrapped around Urian, her hands glued to the trident that she used time and again to explode one Vampire after another. She felt naked the second Tessa did move out and chided herself for the silly notion. After all, she had far more fighting ability than Tessa, and she was well protected with Cable, Domino, Kitty, and Janeesa all doing their best to protect their group. She returned her attention to fighting, but her attention was broken once more by the screams that rose up from one of the nearby groups.

Rachel's green eyes flew to the others in terror. She began telekinetically blasting the Vampires who were lifting the other Pirates into the air and trying to carry them off, yet for every one she or some one else caused to either drop their victim, explode, or both, another caught the intended victim. Then Rachel heard Tessa's scream, and her gaze flew to Tessa who was now in a tug of war with a Vampire. She clung to Rachel's mother's body, but a Vampire had caught Jean's legs and was trying to pull her away from her.

"_**NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!**_" Her voice echoed with Cable's, and both broke from their group. Rachel blasted the Vampire who clung to her mother's legs, but as fate would have it, it was at the exact second that Tessa was attacked from behind and, therefore, her grip forced to weaken. Cable was immediately covered by Vampires, and he couldn't possibly shoot fast enough. Domino raced after him, and she, too, was swiftly surrounded.

* * *

James raced to help the one friend he had left from Never Land, though he'd never thought her a friend in the old days. He drug Smee along behind him, ignoring his lover's blusterings that they shouldn't be concerned with Tinker Bell, who had done so much against them in the past, but rather Lacey. James defended his beloved and himself as they ran, ripping off the heads and limbs of the Vampires that rushed them. Every now and again, he'd lose the pathway, but each time, Tink flew back into his face, chattered a dozen words a millisecond, and then flew off again.

Finally, James and Smee reached the area where Tink flew rapid circles in, her light chattering even more swiftly. A male who was as big and muscular as he was blue and furry stood before the unconscious body of Tiger Lily and a very awake Indian girl and raccoon. James groaned inwardly, recognizing the girl and her little monster of a pet, but before they could react further, the man, who had already been fighting off nearly twenty Vampires at one time, was jumped by all his opponents simultaneously.

James released Smee and told him to get to the girls as he ran to help the man. His hook was just beginning to fly, spilling blood as quickly as he could, when the man rose back up. James barely had any time to be impressed as Beast went down again under the sheer number of the Vampires. When he rose the second time, he was not alone. Instead, his unconscious body hung limply between the two Vampires who carried him high over the others' heads and flew him toward one of the open windows.

"_**DAMN!!!**_" James hollered. He could not reach Beast. He could not help him. Now all he could do was try to keep the Vamps from taking the rest of the small group who was with him.

He was glad Tiger Lily was unconscious. The girl had never been worth a damn in a fight. Her insipid braves had always been spending too much time with that insidious boi, Pan, playing games instead of learning to be real warriors. She had been the only one who had ever seemed to have a real brain, and yet being a female, James doubted she could handle the situation.

They could not stay where they were, although the Vamps now seemed to be in less number having obtained what they had come for. Yet James knew that they were very vulnerable and would probably return for them, as well, if he managed to fend off the remaining ones.

James looked at Smee and knew that Smee could not carry Tiger Lily. The girl was far too tall, making almost two of Smee in height alone. If he carried her, that meant he couldn't fight. Tinker Bell would be of little or no use. That left only Dove. He shuddered to think what she had done with his boy, Freddie. "Can you . . . carry her?" He did not see any weapons on the girl and thought she would be unable to carry her, but he had to ask. He had the only real weapon amongst all of them. "We have to try to get out of here. We are like sitting ducks inside this ship."

She stared at him, her heart pounding maddeningly in her throat and her eyes so big they seemed ready to pop from her head. She couldn't trust him. She knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt for she'd seen how insane his child had behaved and how greatly he had insulted her. She stared at him, blinking only once, and then the Fairy spoke. She'd never thought she'd see a white-skinned Fairy so close, but she knew their people were to be respected and rarely evil.

"Please. Please do what he asks. I beg you please."

She did not even realize that her mouth was hanging agape as the Fairy talked, but at last and slowly, she nodded a single time. She turned, and as she did, Reeko swiveled around on her shoulder to stare at James and raise and wave his claws in warning. If he laid one finger on his girl, he was as good as dead, he vowed, though he'd been terrified mere seconds before. Dove picked Tiger Lily carefully up off of the deck and cradled her in her arms as she turned back to face James, her eyes telling him clearly that she did not trust him even one tiny bit.

"Have you seen my boi?" James asked. "Have you seen either of my bois? Are they . . . alive? I'm sorry we got off on a bad footing," James apologized. "I seem to do that a lot."

Her return came in her native tongue as she told him how great an insult his son was and warned him that if he ever appeared to her as he had before, she would castrate him. Reeko nodded his head in eager agreement and ran a finger over his throat.

"He is not now," Tinker Bell explained to James, "but he will be if he does again what he did before." She looked at James, one eyebrow raised in questioning. "Do I even _want_ to know what Frederic did _this_ time?"

Yet there had been true pain and fear in the one-handed man's voice, and so she took just a tiny bit of pity upon him. Her keen eyes scanned their surroundings before she, at last, singled out a brown-haired boy who was fighting viciously alone as he struggled to make his way to a wounded tiger.

"What do you see, Miss Bell?" James had caught her hesitation. "Is it one of my bois?" He hoped and prayed that it was. He wasn't sure all that Frederic had done to Dove. He wasn't sure he even wanted to know what Frederic had done. "My boi is not well, Dove, and I am sorry for any insults that he gave. He has a problem with the word "duty". They thought that they had gotten it out of him, but apparently it has only caused further problems."

She looked at him as though she could see right through him but made no other remark than the simple look. She did not trust a single word he spoke, and she reshifted the other girl rather pointedly in her arms as she waited for him to suggest where his white man's brain thought freedom lay even while the sneaking suspicion that she should never have gone after Them crept through her mind.

"She pointed to your son, James. Connor is alone and not faring well, I fear. Move now or all may be lost!" She zipped through the air around them, making swift, brilliant circles that kept the Vampires at bay and zipping around so rapidly that they could not hope to lay a single claw upon her.

James raced behind Tinker Bell, his hook catching and slicing off several more Vampire heads as they went. He saw Connor go down, and he almost jumped from one spot to the other. Craziness rolled through his brain and out through his fingers and hook as he became a wild man. He sliced at any Vamp who dared to touch Connor.

Connor was mumbling something, and James picked it up. "I tried, but I couldn't stop them! They took her! Dad, they got Zora! We have to get to the babies!" Connor managed to get out. "They've already taken Vang!"

James looked up to see which direction they needed to go only to be slapped in the face by something very hard that slithered down his body and fell to the floor. "Bring mon babies back, ya damn piranhas! Ya got de rest o' mon family! Can't have mon babies! Can't have mon babies!"

Sebastian continued to flop along the floor, but he could not reach the Vampires. He did not realize he had been thrown into James' face, and even now his eyes remained upon the Vampire who flew with the cubs that had come to be as much his babies as they were Connor's and Zora's. He saw a fireball explode into the Vampire, but a Vampiress caught the falling cubs and continued to fly away with them even as Kat fell to the deck, a shot from a gun having taken out the Vampire who had been draining her. She did not move but only lay there, and Sebastian feared the worst for all his family.

* * *

She had been so stunned by her swift rescue that she was unable to think straight at first. Her thoughts were in a turmoil, and her heart was not faring much better. Her judgement was clouded by his aroma of manliness and the tingles that shot through her at every place he was touching her, which, although being many, were nowhere near enough. At last, as the distance between them and James grew further and further, she found her voice. "Joey, honey," she tried to reason, her voice deep, husky, and almost a purr, "as manly and delicious as your arms feel around me, sugar, I can't just abandon my cousin!"

"Your cousin can handle his own self. I've got to get you to some one who can fix your back. You're losing too much blood, Lacey. You could die from it!" His voice grew shrill. "And I can't have that happen, not when I've only just now realized . . . " He let his voice trail off.

He wasn't ready to tell the world what he had discovered in that moment when he had turned as the circle had broken and he had seen Lacey in all of her glory, fighting, and marvelled at how she had moved. It was as though a golden light had surrounded her, and for the first time, Josiah had looked at her in other than that he needed to protect her but as something beautiful and graceful. He had seen the vicious attack upon her back, and he had blown both the bastards away but not soon enough as they had managed to gouge a hole in her and she was bleeding rather profusely.

"Just where the Hell is Nathan?" he muttered. He saw Gabrielle before he saw Nathan. She was hunting for something to help Xena fight the Vampires off of Andrew, who lay motionless upon the floor as though he was already dead. He blasted two more of the Vampires as he reached the group.

"Gabrielle, can you please do something to help Lacey? They punched holes in her back! I'll help Xena ward off our enemy if you'll help Lacey."

Gabby nodded and began to tear huge lengths of petticoat off of what remained of Lacey's fine dress and slips. The back of the dress was already ripped open. She winced slightly as she did the only thing she could and stuffed the slips up into the holes, stopped, and tied it off. "We've got to get to somewhere better. How are we going to get through them?!" The never-ending sea of Vampires kept pouring as an oncoming wave, trying to crash over them.

She looked at Autolycus and Joxer, who huddled together on the floor, and told them to pick up Lacey. "We have to get out of here." She reached out and punched Andrew in the shoulder. "Crawl out backwards," she told him. "We have to get out of here. If we go, they'll follow." She indicated Xena, Josiah, and Trina.

She could see the gangplank and knew that that was the way out. She started leading her small group that way.

Andrew walked beside Gabrielle. He was still in shock. Why had his cross not worked? Why had no one told him that it didn't always work? He wasn't used to fighting Vampires. He wished he could ask Zeus why it didn't always work but feared that he'd get laughed at by Him too.

He was at a crossroads, and he didn't know if he could continue the path. He hated being a weak coward but did not know how to fight. He knew he should have listened to Michael and learned how to fight a long time ago, but he'd thought he'd never need it. Now he wished he had taken even one lesson.

* * *

Lacey had been talking the entire time Josiah had been telling her that James could take care of himself and Gabrielle had been tending to her wounds and was now continuing to rattle on about how James needed her and couldn't possibly handle himself alone, especially not against the hordes of Vampires that were swarming inside their vessel, determined that they should be theirs. No one was listening, and she was growing more and more distraught as she got further from James and time ticked on. "Put me down," she demanded, looking at the smaller of the two men who carried her. "Put me down and let me go after my cousin or you'll be sorry."

Autolycus' eyes flashed at Lacey's words. It was one thing for Xena, Gabrielle, and himself to push Joxer around, but he didn't like any one else doing it. Further more, they were trying to help this blasted woman who was so eager to plunge herself into an early grave! "Do you think we _like_ leaving our friends behind?"

"_Friends_," she snapped, "not _family!_"

"Friends _and_ family!" he shot back. "Xena's like a sister to us and she's Gabrielle's lover! None of us want to leave her, especially now . . . " His words trailed off abruptly as he realized what he'd almost said. The others would think them completely insane if they knew what they now knew, but he knew in his heart and soul that their memories were real.

"I have to get to my cousin! You don't know James like I do! His mind is messed up right now! He can't handle this! He won't make it out alive if I'm not there to help him!"

"You're staying put. Joxer, don't even think about putting her down."

"I'LL GO FOR JAMES!" Josiah called after Lacey as he overheard snatches of her argument with the two men who carried her. "JUST KEEP GOING OUT OF HERE, LACEY! DON'T LOOK BACK!"

Lacey lifted her head so that she could look pass Autolycus' shoulder, and her eyes met Josiah's. She could trust him. She knew she could, and yet it was still so hard to leave her cousin after all this time. It was harder than she could think to put into words to abandon James and Smee, but she knew Josiah would go after James, James would not leave Smee, and Josiah would do everything in his power to protect the both. She knew he would. Her eyes grew heavy, and the last thing she saw was Josiah's face.

Josiah looked at Xena. "We have no choice but to go out. We stay in here, we're sitting ducks. I've got to go after Hook. Good luck," he told the two women. "I'll join you as soon as I can." He raced off in the direction he'd last seen Hook, remembering the look in Lacey's eyes. He had to save Hook or she'd hate him forever, and that was something he couldn't stand to think.

Josiah had finally found the one he was destined to spend his life with. Now he only had to break up with his best friend and save Hook. He thought he'd stand a much better chance of saving Hook than he did with his long time friend and partner. He prayed Nathan would understand. Josiah had truly lost his heart, and to a _woman_! He doubted Nathan would ever understand. He didn't want to lose him, but he didn't want to lose Lacey either. Who would have ever thought that Josiah would fall in love with a _woman_?! He saw James and dashed forward to defend the rest of James' family.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

**Somewhere**

Eyes that led to a deep, wise, and troubled soul looked down upon the fragile female face with great concern etched in their features. An old hand reached out and wiped the young woman's brow again as he prayed once more for her, and all their, deliverances. It was a prayer that had ushered through his being for centuries now, but it was also a prayer that he had less faith in every day. Voices surrounded him, but he let most flow over him without notice as he moved the dirtied white rag to the young man's forehead.

These two had been through so much, and though a tiny part of him was admittedly glad for her return at first, he wished that they had not been returned this time. He wondered over what had taken them away and then brought them back and feared for both their futures. What force had their captor now deployed to throw them back into the dungeon without their even knowing how they had come to be here, and then what power had taken them out? Why was he toying with them again after all this time? Why had he let them escape? What did he have to gain from this?

These questions and more circled through the old man's mind, and he shook his head sadly, knowing he had no answers for any of them. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and his load lightened underneath the gentle, reassuring touch of his eldest son. They would escape one day. They had to. He owed that much and more to his children. They should be allowed to see the sunlight and spend at least one day of their lives in freedom.

Sharpened tongues suddenly caught his pointed ears, and his tail struck the cold, hard floor in warning. He looked up just as one of his sons shoved his youngest and cleared his throat loudly. The elder glared at him but walked off, and another of his sons stepped in to comfort his youngest. He shook his head again and let out a soft breath of mingled aggravation and despair.

He could not blame his third eldest son for the anger that clouded his judgment. They all had far too much to be angry about. Gods knew he worked with him steadily to lessen his anger, but it never did any good. Another stepped into his view, and he looked up at the tall woman and sadly shook his head. She understood that there had not been any change though they did not exchange a word and knelt beside her daughter's head.

Her blue hand touched his wrinkled hand, that was really more a paw, with gentility that would have surprised all those who had known her before. Their eyes met in understanding. She had barely taken the cloth from him and touched it to her child's forehead before the doors were thrown open.

All eyes turned immediately to the door as a tall, brunette man came walking in backwards. Each noted that their pale captor looked far less than pleased and that his cape had been torn. "You will succumb to me, child."

"Never!" the young man seethed, daggers shooting from his blue eyes.

"You will," he countered, "or your friends will pay for your indifference."

"My friends?"

"Did you honestly think you were the only one?" He sneered as he waved a hand at where the mother and father knelt and cared for the two who had been returned to them.

The tall man turned slowly, and his eyes shot wide with anger at the two unknown creatures he saw crouched upon his friends. The rag did not enter his blurred vision. He only saw a blue-skinned woman and a giant rat upon his two friends. "GET OFF OF THEM!" He charged forward, his feet leaving the stone floor as he literally flew at them. His fists slammed into both, sending them toppling backwards, but before he could move any further, he found a claw at his throat and two cold, green hands wrapped around his throat from behind.

The being with the green hands pulled him to the floor, and the huge, furry man before him growled, revealing rows of deadly, sharp fangs that reminded the young man of the time that his lover had nearly accidentally ran into an angry sabertooth tiger. That had been a narrow escape, but he had saved him. He had failed him this time, however, and did not even know what had become of his beloved or their children. He stared at the man who held a glistening claw pressed to his jugular but did not speak.

The big man, who had yet to stop growling, began to press his claw further against the boy's throat, but the commanding voice of the blue-skinned woman stopped him. Her yellow eyes bored into the boy from where she stood next to the old rat man, whose body hung limply between the helping arms of his two youngest sons. The one remaining son, the one who did not have the boy by the throat and was not helping his father to stand, stood with anger seething from his dark eyes and gritted teeth.

"Not yet, Victor. He is a friend of our daughter. We will wait until she awakens to decide what to do with him."

The man called Victor snorted derisively but sheathed his claw.

"There ain't no damn way I'm lettin' him get away with -- "

The young man did not hear the rest of the sentence that was exploding from the mouth of the one who held his throat in a death grip for the bigger man's hands slammed down against his head. As he toppled to the floor, the strangers' seething voices swirling around his head, he heard the door swing shut. He turned his head as he hit the floor, and through his blurred vision, he could barely make out their captor dragging a familiar brunette man down the hallway. "DON'T GIVE UP, CLARK!" Clark did not hear the rest of Morph's words, however, as the blackness swallowed him at just that moment.

* * *

**Tortuga**

A long, despairing meow circled through the vessel, and Tom paused to turn his head in the direction of the King's cry. A blur of chocolate and cream hurtled at him, and Tom, who already had blood running down his face from fighting with the Vampires as he had tried to find a way to retrieve Katrina and Celina, swayed. "It's all my fault!" his voice broke with wailing sobs. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty! I'm so sorry! I failed -- "

But Meesy didn't stop. He did not even slow. He ran up the length of Tom's body and jumped from there on to a Vampire's back. He followed that jump with a leap to another Vampire's head and then another Vampire and another Vampire after that. Tom watched in both amazement and fear, amazement that the King still persisted in following the women they both loved and fear that, at any second, he would receive a killing blow.

Meesy ran so fast, however, that, at first, no Vampire could hope to touch him. His blue eyes remained trained on the two women who could not have been any more his daughters if he had indeed helped to bring them into this life. He ran as though his own life depended on it, but just as he was about to jump the Vampire who held the Princesses, a hand snatched him from behind by the scruff of his neck. He yowled, his claws flailing the air, but was pulled down nonetheless.

* * *

She had thought she had been running to their mother and grandmother, and she knew that she could not possibly have known any better. She herself had believed, at first, and she knew that, if not for Cole, she would have taken her sister's place. Part of her wished she had been the one to be killed, but the other part of her knew that she had far too much to live for and could not afford to think like that now for such thoughts would undoubtedly be her undoing and too many people were relying on her.

As she again saw Phoebe's head bouncing across the floor and then exploding, Piper shuddered, shook her head, and tried desperately to place the thoughts from her mind. She tried, instead, to focus on keeping what was left of her family alive and wondering what had happened to her dear youngest sister, Paige. She had not seen Paige killed but had witnessed her fall through a hole. Hopefully, that meant she still lived, but where was she?

They had been attacked by so many that day. Who had taken Paige, and just why, exactly, did these Vampires want them now? Did they have anything to do with her little sister being killed or her youngest one being taken? If they themselves had not caused it to happen, did they know anything about those who had? Did they know where Paige was being held? Could they provide any answers?

Their people were doing all they could to kill them, as they should, but if they did, by some miracle, manage to come through this battle alive and kill all the Vampires, there would be none left who could provide any hope of answers. She threw out her hands again, exploding two more who rushed them, but knowing that chances were far too high that they'd simply pull their body parts back together in a matter of minutes. Still, if they were to hope to gain any information from these blood suckers, they would have to keep one alive . . . or, rather, undead, the technical side of her, which tended to interfere with her thoughts at the most inopportune times, reminded her.

She threw out her hands again, freezing one of their vast enemy. "There! Try to keep that one alive so that we can question . . . " She never even got to complete her sentence before another Vampire flew to the side of the one she had just frozen. Piper lifted her hands, ready to explode the Vampire before it could carry off the one she had frozen, but instead of trying to save its fellow being, the Vampire sliced through the Vampiress' throat and continued on at them.

The Vampiress' head hit the floor and rolled. Piper exploded the Vampire but then found herself staring down into the big eyes of the dead Vampiress. Her mind flashed again to Phoebe, and her scream pierced the air.

* * *

She couldn't shake the thoughts that continued to pound doubts through her head. No matter how many Vampires she fried, exploded, or otherwise dealt what should have been a fatal blow to, Delvira continued to see Melenda and Jareth in her head and continued to hear her beloved husband's words to the bitch. Jareth would have taken her back, she was quickly beginning to believe, if she had been sorry for what she had done to him in their past together. He had never known love until her, not until Delvira as he'd told her before but until Melenda. He had loved Melenda, and once you truly loved some one, you never completely stopped loving them.

"DO NOT HARM HIM!"

The shouted command caught Delvira's heart in a death grip, and she turned toward it to see Melenda standing before the Vampires and calling them down. She had been behind the fight. She had been in charge of the Vampires. Delvira should have seen it coming.

She watched, frozen, as Melenda turned to Jareth and told the Vampires again, "DO NOT HARM HIM! I LOVE HIM, AND HE WILL RULE BY MY SIDE!"

Delvira couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her heart stopped beating. She could only stare, but then as Jareth embraced Melenda and they sealed the deal with a kiss, she sank to her knees. She curled into a fetal position on the floor.

Hovering above Delvira, a Vampiress broke into manic laughter. She raked Delvira's long, black hair with her fingernails that were far more like claws, then bent lower and whispered directly into the other Vampiress' pale ear. Tears were already pouring down Delvira's face like a flood, and at the Vampiress' words, she sobbed even more. The Vampiress whispered again, and Delvira's fists plowed into her own head. She went still immediately afterwards, and the Vampiress gathered her into her arms and began to fly away.

* * *

Kitty whirled at the sound of Rachel's scream. She saw Ray running after her mother and Tessa and saw Tessa, Cable, and Domino become surrounded. Kitty wrapped a protective arm around Lockheed and then sprang from the floor and into a series of flips. She came down a few feet from Rachel. Lockheed uncoiled from her arm, and the two ran forward. She struck out at the Vampires she met with her empty hands and booted feet, and he breathed large gasps of fire at them. Vampires fell away, but more came steadily.

* * *

Their downfall seemed to happen to him in a matter of minutes that were timed by the heartbeats that echoed in his head, panicked beats that resounded from his own heart that had lodged in his throat and refused to go down. Screams pierced the air all around him, animal, human, and other voices all mingling together in great pain, despair, and fear. Their people were going down left and right, beginning with Zora and Vang and quickly continuing with another each time his gaze was pulled into another direction.

The circle that should have provided protection was now broken, their few remaining members being backed up against the wall. Jack was raving about a broken nail while Will tried to defend him, and the Winchesters were pressed against Sparrow and his love and wore twin masks of terror. He knew the boys must have undoubtedly seen a lot in their time, especially as he'd heard their father so often discussed or, rather, cursed by most of those few people who had won his respect in the past years. They had never, however, he was sure, been so grossly outnumbered before.

The sheer numbers of their enemy alone bespoke certain doom, but none of them were willing to let go without one last fight. Even now, Larabee, Angel, Xena, Trina, and a Werewolf he didn't know continued to fight, pressing the weaker ones behind them up against the wall. The two remaining Halliwell sisters and their men would soon be there to help, or so it appeared until Piper froze and started screaming. His eyes were tore back to the other fighters as the Werewolf was jumped by four at once. Larabee flew into the battle, biting and screeching as though he'd given completely in to his Vampire's more primitive nature.

Trina was jumped from behind, and as the Vampiress pulled her backwards by her hair, another Vampire caught and held fast to her swinging feet. Angel rushed to help her, glancing at Cordelia who was pressed against the wall behind him to make certain she would be okay even as he leaped deeper into the fray.

Xena was holding off three Vampires at once, but as she raised her hand to retrieve her chakram, another Vampire leapt and caught it. He sneered at the Pirate Princess even as he landed smoothly on the deck, and Ace realized that even she was now without a weapon.

"EZRA!" The name erupted from the mouth of an African man who ran forward only to be immediately jumped by the Vampires. It was then that Ace realized that the firings of the magick guns had nearly stopped completely. He turned just in time to see the man in the red coat be slung across the ship. He hit the deck hard, and his unconscious body continued to skid.

New screams caught his ears, and Ace turned his head again, this time toward the tiny group who had been attempting to escape. The screamer proved to be Joxer, and Ace saw that the group had been cut off from their escape by yet another group of Vampires. He barely had time to see Gabrielle and Autolycus place themselves between Joxer and the Vampires before a yowl of, "RELEASE THE ROYAL PERSONAGE, YOU MISERABLE RUFFIAN!", caught his ears. He turned to see King Meesy being swung around by the scruff of his neck as Tom watched helplessly from the deck below.

His allies, his friends, his _family_ were going down all around him, but Ace stood, in the center of the animals, uncertain of where to go or how to fight. Even as he watched the present happenings, his mind kept flashing back to the past fight with Frostbite and the heartless slaughtering of his animal friends from that time. His friends were now asking him which to go, where safety was, and what they should do, but he had no answers for them. His skinny frame was trembling all over, yet he did not realize it.

Tiny hands caught Ace's face, and Clyde turned his best friend's head in the direction of his beloved. A primal scream exploded from Ace as he saw his beloved Kat O'Hara laying limp upon the floor. Her tanned skin was now paler than the light of a crescent moon, and even her flaming red hair seemed pale. He screamed again as a Vampire reached down to pick her up, and then he knew.

He knew he had no other choice. He had to fight. He had to try. He could not hope to fight against all these Vampires, but he had friends and he now had no choice but to do what he had been trying so hard not to do: to send them into the battle. His arms and legs spread apart, and he threw his hands up over his head as a new scream spilled forth from his lips. This scream hovered somewhere between a primal scream and a calling song, and every animal head within fifty yards lifted as their ears caught his voice. Then they charged.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Tortuga**

He had already began to stir, but as soon as he realized what was happening, he had remained carefully still and limp, allowing his captors to think that he was still unconscious. He waited until the first flew out of the window before throwing his muscular arms upward and striking both Vampires against either side of the vessel. He hit them twice more before they could react, then easily broke from their failing grips as they spiraled downwards. His big feet pressed against the wall of the vessel as he heard a loud, wailing meow and two tiny voices behind him.

He sprang from the wall and onto the next Vampire. His arms wrapped around the Vampire from on top of it, and he twisted and turned with it as they struggled. The Vampire hissed and bit at his hands and arms, but he hung determinedly on, refusing to give up hope for the tiny lives that the Vampire would undoubtedly dine upon as rare morsels. His weight at first took the Vampire down, but then he leaned forward and shifted his body weight.

He continued to lean and shift his weight rapidly until the Vampire began to spiral out of control. Then, using all the super speed, agility, and dexterity that his mutantcy granted him, the Beast ripped the cubs from the Vampire's clutches, jumped backwards off of the Vampire, and kicked it the rest of the way into the wall. He flipped through the air and came down on top of another Vampire. He stomped the head of that one and leaped again. He twisted in the air, pointing his feet at another Vampire who held a cat who was screaming that it release the royal personage. His big feet slammed into the Vampire's face and then pulled the cat from its arms as it fell backwards.

He twirled again in the air as he nestled the cubs in one mighty, furry arm. His feet threw the cat upwards, and he caught him in his empty arm. He then continued his descent downwards, kicking out at each of the Vampires that flew at him. One managed to avoid his feet, but his head rammed into hers and left her seeing stars as he increased his speed.

* * *

Jareth's heart leaped in his chest. He did not know what his beloved had seen only moments before, and his mouth fell open in shock as he saw the Vampiress come down upon her, whisper in her ear, and Delvira knock herself cold! "SHUT _UP_, WORM!" he ground out. "I HAVE TO _THINK_!"

Even as the Vampiress lifted Delvira and began to fly away with her, Jareth unwittingly called forth the lightning. It left his fingertips and hit the Vampiress directly on. She was engulfed in flames. Her screams rent the air. She dropped Delvira. Jareth paid no further heed to her.

He leapt forward, intending to catch his beloved, when something hit him from behind. It collided with him so hard it knocked him to the floor. Crawling awkwardly back up to his feet, he was just in time to see another Vampire snatching his beloved and going out through the hole in the top of the ship. He could do nothing but stand, looking skyward and screaming out her name. He had to find a way to go after her. He racked his brain for the words that would change him to dragon form, but the first thing that came out changed him to a rabbit. All he could do was hop madly up and down, hopelessly screaming at the top of his bunny lungs.

* * *

It had all happened so quickly that Cole had not been able to intervene and save the one Vampire. He knew Piper was right. They had to keep one undead and intact long enough to find out where they were taking their people. He had not expected the other Vampire to kill its own kind.

When the head had come to roll in front of Piper, Cole did two things. He grasped Piper's arms gently and pulled her to face him; he then kicked the head of the slain Vampire with his right foot. It bounced across the room and splattered into the wall, making a sound that made his gut churn. Ooze drained down the wall even as Cole's eyes flicked back to Piper.

He was so tired of killing, yet there never seemed to be an end of it. He wanted to get Piper and her sister out of the hold of the ship, but he didn't know where to take them. Where was safety? He knew of none. He pulled Piper into his arms and held her, his eyes meeting Brendan's, trying to ask the question "Where?", and knowing that Brendan was probably as lost as he was.

Prue was relieved that Cole kicked the head. How ghastly the sight! She had not seen Phoebe's head severed, but she had felt Piper's anguish and knew that her beloved sister was seeing Phoebe yet once again beheaded. She stepped forward, placing her hand on her sister's back and reminding her sister that she yet lived and was there for her.

She, too, wondered if they ran from the vessel, would they be safe? In which direction did safety lay? She gazed into Cole's face, asking him the silent question and knowing that he did not have an answer. It made her blood run cold. Were they to be doomed? She, too, turned her eyes upon Brendan, praying that her beloved would have an answer.

The man side of Brendan's mind had shut down some time ago, his despair having grown too great for him to be able to fight efficiently and allowing the wolf to take over in his quest to protect his pack. The wolf did not understand all that was happening, but he did understand the immense sadness of his mate and her sibling, the despair that rolled off of all of his pack members, and the great danger that surrounded them all. He found both his mate and her sister's mate looking at him for answers, but before he could respond, another voice caught his ears.

His ears perked to the top of his head in attention, and his fur-covered, slime-drenched face swung toward a small human being. His eyes narrowed at first, but then as the call for help grew, he forgot all else but listening to the screaming song. He turned back to the three of his pack who needed him the most with a new determination. He growled at the Demon, snatched the women, and ran.

He ignored the screams and led the way, flipping up from time to time and dispatching the Vampires he would have been unable to dodge with his hind claws. As he neared what was left of the group, he sprang into the air and leaped over a multitude of heads. He landed behind the protectors and next to his brother who was babbling incoherently.

A wild expression had taken over Will Turner's eyes as the blacksmith turned Pirate had grown ever more desperate until he felt as though he was at the end of his rope. He swung to meet the snarling Werewolf but was not in time to place himself between Jack and his crazed brother. Brendan sheathed the claws of his left paw before slapping Jack across the face. He then jumped backwards, flipping through the air and joining the fray of charging animals.

Jack shook his head as though awakening from a horrible dream. "GET THE CANNONS, WILL!" he shouted. "WE NEED THE CANNONS!" Jack was not referring to the guns that was on the now-defunct ship but to the guns that he knew was laying on the floor, the magic guns that Ola had given to certain individuals who had met her approval. "We should be able to use them!"

Will stared at Jack in concern and befuddlement, but Dean Winchester, who stood perhaps a mere two paces away, heard the Pirate Captain's words and understood. The young man felt like slapping himself in the forehead for having not thought of it before, and his eyes swept the floor in search of one.

Jack felt Will's eyes boring into him and knew that Will thought that he was completely mad. "The guns! They're on the floor!" Jack could clearly see one, and he made a dive for it himself before Will could stop him. Grasping it in his hand, he jumped back to his feet and ran forward into the fray.

* * *

Cole's mouth had fallen open in pure shock when Brendan had snarled at him. Surely he didn't think he was part of this evil foray? He shimmered to the group, following in Brendan's wake. He saw Brendan strike out at Jack but knew that he would never hurt his brother. He just couldn't believe Brendan had snarled at him! He hoped that it was because the wolf was in charge and not the man and that Brendan didn't think that he was one of the enemy. Seeing that Prue and Piper were safer behind the fighters, he joined the foray, as well, shooting energy balls as he drove his fists forward.

* * *

Dean had spied the gun a mere second after Jack, but as the Pirate moved after it before he could, he continued his search. He spied another where a pale-skinned woman was being lifted into the air though she continued to struggle against the group of Vampires who clung to her, one holding to each limb. He jumped out from the fray, ignored Sam's cry of his name, and ran as fast as he could go.

Vampires charged him, but he ducked and dove as he went and then fell into a roll that took him straight to the lost gun. As he sat up with it, his first intention was to free the woman, but then he heard Sam yell as a Vampire caught his arm and twisted his shoulder out of its socket. His face burned with anger, and he promptly blew the Vampire away. Unfortunately, when he looked up after freeing Sam, the woman was already gone.

* * *

At first, Will couldn't believe that Jack had simply abandoned him and thrown himself out into the open, but then, as Will remembered how unpredictable and stubborn his beloved had always been, he was no longer surprised but only concerned with getting back to his side. He dove into the fight and did his best to fight with his hands and feet, but a snarling Vampire simply threw him back against the wall. His head hit the wall, and he slumped to the floor beside the Halliwells.

Prue knelt in concern beside Will. She touched his face gently. "Will? Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?" She was afraid, because he just stared at her and didn't say anything. "Piper, I think he's hurt really bad. He's just staring! Please don't let him be dead!"

Piper knelt down on Will's other side and reached out to him with gentle hands. She was still desperately trying to block Phoebe from her mind, but her little sister's head just kept rolling through her mind's eye and splattering again and again in a seemingly never-ending circle. She did not realize she was shaking as she pushed her hands up underneath Will's shirt and felt for his heartbeat.

Will stared straight ahead. The two women before him were a blur, and their words washed over him. It was Elizabeth's voice he heard instead as his mind was taken back to the last time she had knelt beside him and checked him out in great worry. Something had taken his sister. Something had poured its foul, evil stench into her body, defiled her, used her to try to kill both Jack and himself, and then had left one of their people -- he still did not know who -- with no choice but to kill her or let her kill him. At first, he'd thought he would have preferred death, but he had too much to live for. He had Jack to live for, and the man he loved was more than enough reason to continue on. He continued to stare on ahead, making no sign that he had heard either of the sisters for indeed he had not.

* * *

Joxer had stumbled backward when they had been attacked by the oncoming Vampires. He did not let go of Lacey although he felt himself falling. He fell hard into something and prayed it wasn't a Vampire as whatever it was fell to the floor immediately. He and Lacey were on top of it. Lacey never stirred but slid off of Joxer's body and fell to the floor. He could hear something mumbling, but as a claw did not dig him in the back, he knew it wasn't a Vampire.

Andrew could not believe that Joxer had not only fallen backward onto him but had knocked both he and Carlos on the floor. He was now underneath Carlos and barely able to breathe. He kept telling Joxer to get his big, clumsy self off of him, but because he was muffled under the dead weight of Carlos, only mumbling could be heard. Finally, in what seemed like forever, Joxer managed to get up. He turned and looked down in shock. "Did I do that?" he asked to no one in particular.

Andrew gently rolled Carlos off of him and coldly informed Joxer, "Yes, you did." Although he wanted to call him an idiot, he managed to refrain from doing so as he did not want to hurt the man's feelings. Rolling Carlos to a position beside Lacey, he took up one side in defending the small group from the oncoming Vampires.

He prayed that Trina was having better luck than he. He did not know if she yet stood but prayed that the Warrior Princess was able to overcome their enemy. Her legends were numerous, and Trina was extremely tough as well. He wished that they were all together now for he knew that he and Joxer were not able to defend their group very much. His fighting abilities sucked, and having seen Joxer in the past, he knew that he was more comedian than anything else.

Gabrielle longed for her partner to be beside her and for her weapons. She had no weapon, just her hands and her feet, and yet she knew that if Xena was there, weaponless, she'd still be able to defeat the enemy. She bravely fought, feeling scratches appearing on her body and the blood running down her face.

Autolycus was so scared that his body fought back just to defend his own life this time instead of fighting for jewels. He had been a fighter and a thief all his life. In fact, he had come from a long line of thieves and fighters. He glanced backwards once to make sure that Joxer was still standing. He wondered how Joxer could be such a weakling when he knew what Joxer's family was like. Why couldn't he have some of their fighting power? He wished, for about the thousandth time, that they were somewhere safely away from here and prayed for help that he knew would never come in time.

* * *

James reached down and picked Sebastian up with his hook. "Control yourself, man! Pull yourself together for yonder Beast has rescued the cubs!" He held him up to where he could see. "We must hang together, my friend, so that we can rescue our family!" He handed Sebastian to Connor. "Do not bite my boi," he warned Sebastian.

Inwardly, he was extremely glad to have help from the big, blue beast man he had not yet had a chance to really meet. Now he found that he owed the man a great deal. He'd have to find a way later when they were out of this Hellhole to reward him. At this time, Hook knew that he had ownership of nothing, not even his ship, but he vowed that he would repay Beast. He continued slicing and dicing Vampires as they steadily made their way forward. He thought perhaps they might make it about the time that Beast stepped to the deck.

Connor carried Sebastian carefully. He asked the crab, "Have you seen Wolfie?" When the reply came in the negative, Connor hoped and prayed that Wolfie wasn't laying dead somewhere. He was such a remarkable cat! Connor would miss his friend terribly if he was dead. His keen eyes looked around but did not see the cat anywhere. Would they have taken him? he wondered.

* * *

On the other side of the ship, next to the animal pen, Wolfie slowly got to his feet only to have to sit down as the world spun around. One minute he had been attacking Vamps and bravely trying to save his family. The next he had been sent flying through the air and almost impaled upon a gate post.

He breathed deeply and stood yet again on wobbly legs. His bleary eyes made out the shape of something big, blue, and fuzzy coming down from the ceiling. He wondered what it was as he slowly began to make his way back to where he had last seen his family. He heard a primordial cry and turned his head questioningly, seeking out the one who had uttered the cry.

Wolfie hesitated. Should he answer the cry and maybe get help to save his own family or attempt it on his own? He was but one small cat with a heart as big as a lion. He crept steadily forward, getting closer to the man. He was not too proud to ask for help from Ace.

* * *

Josiah's mind had been on rescuing James. He had never expected Nathan to get into such a mess. He kept firing at the Vampires who had hold to Nathan, but for every one he shot and exploded, another one came. Josiah went to pull the trigger and found the chamber was empty. Searching his pockets, he finally found a new clip and was trying to insert it when he got hit from behind by two Vampires.

They did a virtual dance upon his back before he managed to get the gun loaded. His clothes were hanging in shreds and his back was pouring blood, but he still rolled over onto his back and shot both of the Vamps. They exploded into each other, but he was unfortunately too late to save Nathan because they had used this time to take Nathan up and out through the hole in the roof.

He kept shooting his gun until the Vampires had cleared away from him and he screamed Nathan's name, but it was all in vain. He was gone. He was surprised that his heart did not feel like it had broken into a million shards, just that he felt a deep sadness and emptiness because Nathan was gone. He had always thought he would have felt more. Nathan was his partner but not his soul mate. He found that he could go on and continue with the battle. He would get revenge for Nathan's death yet later.

He saw Ezra, laying crumpled on the floor, ran over to him, and turned him over, hoping that he lived yet. He did not see any marks on Ezra's face but feared that they were deeper in his body. He hoped that he didn't injure him further, but he couldn't leave him laying there. Josiah looked around but did not see Ezra's gun. If it should fall into wrong hands . . . Oh well, Josiah thought. I must get him to safety and hunt for the gun later. He picked Ez up and continued on his search for James, because no matter where he went in the ship, he knew they would not be safe.

* * *

Despairing screams had become so frequently bursting forth from her lips that she was no longer aware of them, nor was she aware that her throat was dry, her lips parched, her voice dimming to weak squeaks, or that blood poured down her body from the many injuries their enemies had inflicted upon her. All she was aware of was that she was losing those she loved and who still, despite how terribly long she'd believed otherwise, still loved her. Tears rained down her face, marring her vision, but still she continued to fight.

She continued telekinetically pounding one Vampire after another while her feeble fists tried to fend them off of her own self. She wasn't concerned with her own well-being any longer, only with those she loved and cared so deeply for. Her brother was gone, taken shortly after his woman. They were struggling to lift her mother and Tessa now, but no matter how many times Rachel blasted them away, more came piling back on. She threw another one as far away from the two as she possibly could and fought against the cold hands that bound her arms to her sides. She heard a snarl as fangs dove closer to her arched neck, but her attention remained riveted on Tessa and her mother.

"GET OFF OF HER, YOU DAMNED SUCCUBUS!" The yell came from just behind Rachel, but she was no more aware of it than she was of how dangerously close the Vampire's mouth was to her jugular. Kitty leapt into the air and swung her leg out. Her foot connected with the Vampire's face in a roundhouse kick just powerful enough to send him falling backward away from Rachel.

The Vampire sprang immediately back to his feet and started after Rachel again. Kitty was forced to pause long enough to phase through a Vampiress that hurtled herself at her, claws reaching out for her heart. The Vampiress passed harmlessly through Kitty's body. She solidified her body and prepared to spring another defensive attack, but before she could put her next plan into motion, a tisking sound and a terrified, weakened "coo" came to her ears and stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mutant." The realization that even these vile, blood-sucking, heartless creeps could hold prejudice against her kind flashed through Pryde's mind a nanosecond before she turned slowly to face what she already knew to be behind her and dreaded seeing. A Vampire held Lockheed trapped in his arms with a claw pressed against his throat. "It's your friend or your pet," he sneered. "You choose, bitch, for now." Kitty froze, her eyes big, teary, and fixed on her beloved Lockheed.

* * *

His confusion was mounting almost as steadily as the Vampires on top of the redhead's mother, but still Urian stood beside Janeesa, his hands clenching the strange weapon she called a trident and had murmured something in his mind about having been a gift from her father. He still could not figure out why a man that he had never met before would want to give him anything, but that was not what concerned him now. What worried him was the fact that Janeesa stood as still as a statue and, though he had been calling her name since her sister had first been tackled by the Vampires, she had yet to respond to him. "Janeesa," he tried again, "I'm not sure how to use this weapon, and I can not seem to get it to work now. Your sister needs our help."

She still did not turn to meet him, but he noticed a Vampire beginning to slowly head their way, his eyes staring dreadfully at the beautiful mermaiden. "Janeesa, we must return to the battle. Soon we will no longer have a choice." He paused, then ventured, fully expecting her to snap, "What is wrong with you?"

She continued to fail to respond to him, and Urian was seriously beginning to consider abandoning her side when he felt the hard handle of the trident begin to burn slightly. The strange power it held was starting to flare. He looked from Janeesa down to it and then up to what it was aiming at. He paled when he saw Tessa directly in line with the trident's beam and snatched the trident upwards just in time. The beam hit the roof and blew a hole through it. More Vampires immediately flew inside even as another passed through, carrying yet another of their number. "Janeesa, by the Great King's beard, what is wrong with you!?!"

Janeesa said not a word but continued to stare straight forward at her sister, whom she did not even recognize. The words kept repeating in her head: Kill the black-haired woman. Kill the black-haired woman. She tried to regain the weapon. Not even blowing a hole through the roof brought Janeesa back to her senses.

She continued to fight the man for ownership of the weapon. The element of surprise was on her side. He had not expected her to fight him for the weapon. She managed to hit him with it so hard that he fell to the floor. Once again, she trained the weapon upon the black-haired woman.

Deep down inside herself, Janeesa warred with herself. She did not know what had taken over her mind, what had caused her to hit Urian and try to make her kill her own sister. She wanted to scream, but her voice would not come. She fought with herself, and she was losing for the voice inside her head grew ever powerful.

* * *

Tessa had lost track of the times she had managed to stand and fight the vermin that was attacking her and her beloved Ray. She had tried to protect Ray's mother but had lost. Now they were determined to get her. She continued fighting to the best of her ability and wished that she had her tail. If she had had her tail, she could have beat the enemy, but her pale, puny human side was losing the battle quickly.

When Janeesa tried to kill her, Tessa's eyes opened even wider in shock. The blood running down her face almost ran into her eyes. She squealed loudly in fright, the high pitch reaching and hurting everything's ears. Her voice knocked some of the nearby Vampires from the air. She kept squealing as she fell to the floor.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Tortuga**

Sean was hoarse from screaming. His screams were so loud that he did not even hear Tessa's, but no matter how many Vamps he knocked out of the air, more of them came. He was impressed with Emma's fighting abilities. So far, they had managed to keep Salem safe. He prayed that they could keep doing so, but their enemy was great and Sean knew that they were fighting a losing battle. If they should lose, where could Salem go that he would be safe? He knew of no such place.

It was a strange feeling to be fighting back to back with a man, especially one who she was supposed to be married to and yet, for the life of her, could not remember. It was almost reassuring, at times, when she had one too many Vampires on her side and one managed to slip by only to be blown backwards by the most powerful set of lungs she'd ever experienced. It was indeed almost reassuring, but every time the slightest of thoughts in such a direction flittered through her mind, Emma shoved them determinedly away and lashed out at the next Vampire with even more power.

Though she continued to fight and remained standing tall out of sheer determination, Emma was tiring. Neither her body nor her mind was what she remembered them being. It was almost as though she had grown rusty and allowed her powers to dim from lack of use, but how could that be, she wondered, when she had been fighting for the cause for the last several years? How could it be, too, another question came unbidden to her mind, that it felt so good to be back to back with the annoying Irish man behind her and almost . . . almost familiar?

Salem had taken a hit to his head. He must have, though she had found no evidence of it. She simply could not have ever been ignorant enough to promise her life away to any man! Cassidy, of course, would have leaped onto the bandwagon as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. After all, who would not want a rich, powerful, and gorgeous woman as his arm candy? The thought alone flushed her with anger and gave her renewed strength. Her psychic whip hit three Vampires at once.

Sean could tell that Em was growing tired and then suddenly had a resurgence of energy. He didn't know what had given her that surge but was glad of it. "We must protect Salem at all costs," he told her. "If somethin' happens tae me, di what ye can tae get him oot o' 'ere." It was too much distance between where they were and where he thought safety might lay. He knew that they'd never make it. Salem could try on his own, but the Vamps would scoop him up as soon as they realized who and what he was, if they didn't already know.

"As though I would ever waste time waiting upon your sluggish rear, and the mere thought that I would grieve for any one -- !" Cold laughter barked from her lips yet a strange sadness swirled in her heart and gut. She pushed the latter aside and hit another couple of oncoming Vampires. She had no idea where these things were coming from, but they seemed even more numerous than the rats in the back alleys of Paris.

Sean recoiled slightly before thinking over a retort. "I've lived a full life. I once had a woman who loved me back, an' I din't care if ye miss me or nae, Em. Ye're jest bitchy enough tae make it on yer own." He blasted a couple of more Vamps in between his words.

"I notice she's no longer by your side, Irish," she snapped back, the resounding thwap of her whip in her own head and her enemies' snapping in tune to the verbal assault. "Was it your mouth or your ego that chased her away?"

"Neither, darlin'. She's at me back now. After all, that's wha' Salem said, an' I din't think he'd lie. Nae tae us, Em."

"I can assure you, Cassidy, that I've never been so ignorant or desperate as to fall for the likes of you or any other of your gender. Salem hit his head and is suffering from delusions, not that that would be anything new for most males, especially those of your ilk."

"Believe it if ye wish tae, darlin', I only have Salem's words tae gi on, yet somethin' 'bout ye feels familiar." Sean realized as he spoke the words, that it really did feel familiar: the two of them fighting as one. Why couldn't he remember? Where were his memories? "Love ye, Em! Watch out o'er yer head!" He screamed, and another Vampire bit it.

Though his words had brought the very emotions she was determined to deny to the front, Emma had scoffed coldly at them and quickly pushed the feelings aside. "Bite me, Cassidy, or better yet, bite yourself. I wouldn't want to get your diseases."

"I'd rather bite ye, luv, but fer tha' I'll have tae wait 'til later," he promised her.

"It will be a cold day in Hell -- "

Salem's claws suddenly and sharply kneaded Emma's bare shoulder. "That is enough of bickering, you two! You may fight best under normal circumstances while quarreling, but these are far from normal circumstances and that last call," he said, referring to the Vampire that Emma had nearly failed to duck in time from despite Sean's warning, "was too close!"

"Stay out of this, Saberhagen! It's your delusions that's caused this arrogant Irish man his own illusions of grandeur! When Hell freezes over, Cassidy, and birds eat cats," she tossed the latter part in for Salem's benefit, "I may allow you to fluff my pillow as my chamber maid, but that will be all!"

"Promises, promises, darlin'! It'll have tae wait 'til later, an' I'll gladly fluff yer pillow or anythin' else that may need fluffin'."

"Oh, why don't you just be done with it and let one of these Vampires chomp your head off? I'm sure it will be an improvement for that tiny thing you call a brain!"

"Ye always were a cold-hearted Witch, Em, an' ye ne'er did love me fer me brain any way!"

Her blue eyes flashed, cutting daggers towards her back where he continued to fight. "I've never loved you! What is it with you arrogant, insignificant, ignorant men?! Why do you refuse to accept simple facts?!" Her voice cut off, suddenly, as a Vampire's fist flashed into her face. He stopped just short of connecting with her flesh as Emma struck him with her whip and sent him spiraling back into his companions.

"Like I _said_," Salem snapped, his ebony tail striking both the backs of their heads, "_enough_!"

"Later, Em!" Sean promised as he resumed fighting.

"Leader's pet!"

"Tight arse!" Sean's right fist connected with the face of a Vampiress who had come too close for comfort. He snatched her to the floor and began taking his anger at Emma out on the Vampiress.

"That a boy, Sean!" Emma urged forward with a begrudging sneer that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Have at her while you can! After all, that's the only way you'll ever get a woman!" Those were her last words for the time being, however, as she was suddenly rushed by four Vampires at once. She took an unconscious step backwards, then went to flailing with her psychic whip.

Salem sighed and disapprovingly shook his head from where he clung to Emma's shoulders. Why, oh why, did he have to be stuck with two bickering teenagers _now_, of all times?! Where was his Faith when he needed her, his Faith who would have made quick mincemeat of these endless Vampires?

* * *

They were paused, caught up in a whirlwind of fighting, when familiar screams again met his ears. He had become accustomed to hearing Rachel's screams and though his heart broke for the valiant young woman, he had not gone to help her for he knew if he went, Lex's chances of saving the enchanted mirror would be next to none and that, without the mirror, they stood little to no chance of saving those who had been taken to where they had no clue. When Tessa began to scream, however, his yellow eyes again swept their way, and what he saw then made his heart stand still in his throat.

He jumped into the air and began tap dancing on the heads of the Vampires, knocking away as many as he could in a matter of seconds. He stole a swift glance at Lex, who was fighting as best he could with nothing but his own two hands to defend himself, Phillip, and Daniel with. He had been standing between the Vampires and the boy, the mirror, and the book for a while now, but he could no longer help them, not when the woman he loved was in dire straits she could not free herself of. "Lex -- "

Luthor dispatched another Vampire and turned to look up at Kurt, who was now using his two-toed feet to knock away the Vampires while his arms remained folded over his chest. When he saw the look in his eyes, he knew what was coming. Part of him wanted to plead with him not to go, but he would not allow himself to show any weakness and knew he could ill afford to, especially now of all times. Therefore, he remained silent and resumed fighting as Kurt told him he had to leave and wished him luck.

He gave the lad no time to answer for fear that he would try to change his mind or keep him from his beloved Katzchen for so much as a second longer for even that long could well prove to be fatal for both the girl of his dreams and her pet dragon. He bamfed, leaving a cloud of brimstone in the air even as Tessa hit a new note that drove many of the Vampires to their knees.

* * *

Part of her wanted to cry out that this couldn't be happening, that it was too much like a living nightmare to be real. Part of her wanted to scream and charge the Vampire who held her dearest friend of all in a death grip, but she knew that that would be fatal for Lockheed. Part of her wanted to beg that the Vampires stop and leave both her oldest and best friends alone, but she knew that that would do no good. She wanted to fight. She wanted to cry. She knew nothing would do her any good. Her one chance to save either lay in choosing only one to live, but she knew that Vampires rarely had a moral code and even less often kept their promises. Her friends were almost as good as dead, and in that second, she wanted to die.

Then, like an avenging Angel from Hell, he appeared in a whirl of black brimstone, blue fur, and red clothing. He bamfed in on the Vampire's back, his three-fingered hands already around his throat, and squeezed until the creature's eyes bulged out of his head and he dropped Lockheed. Her little dragon wasted no time in flying straight to her arms, and as the Vampire hit his knees, Kurt bamfed again.

This time, as Kitty and 'Heed embraced, he appeared in front of Rachel. Her attacker's eyes went wide, but he was almost to her neck and continued his assault, confident that he would have enough time to finish doing in the telekinetic. Noting the way the Vampire clenched Rachel, Kurt tisked and spoke as quickly as he acted.

"You should not trap a lady, for every zime, ze caged bird vill eventually break free and sing." One fist plowed into the Vampire's startled face, snapping his head back, while the other pried one hand from Rachel's body. His tail whipped around, wrapped around the Vampire's leg, and pulled. As he toppled, he snatched Rachel from him but then jumped to the floor with her barely in time as a bolt of energy zapped just over their heads.

* * *

"_**JANEESA!!!!**_" Urian roared. "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOUR SISTER!!!" Why would she not listen to him?! Then it clicked. The Vampire! The Vampire who continued to come toward them, though his eyes never left Janeesa's face, must be controlling Janeesa! But how? he fretted. How could he possibly break the spell without harming the fair mermaiden?!

Many legends told of kisses breaking spells that would have otherwise been the fatal undoing of Princesses, and it was the only way that Urian could think to distract Janeesa without harming her. His mouth angled for hers, and then his mouth caught her lips. He pressed his mouth close to hers as one hand attempted to pry her fingers from the trident. His mind thought quickly, and he concentrated not just upon the kiss but more so upon the trident. He focused his thoughts solely upon protecting Janeesa even as his tongue pried pass her lips and he drank hard and deep from her mouth.

She felt herself spiraling, crashing as a feeling of exhilaration filled her soul and her body. Urian's lips were on hers, and whatever had been holding her suddenly no longer held her! She had not let go of the trident, however. She passed it to Urian, never leaving his lips, but by doing so, letting him know that she was now free of whatever had held her for something had surely held her mind. She knew not what she had done to merit Urian's kiss, but she wouldn't mind doing it again! She deepened their kiss, pulling his head closer to her mouth with one hand behind his neck and her body melting into his.

Urian did not fight Janeesa, but as she returned his kiss and poured her fire into his soul, he found that he did have to fight. He had to fight to keep his brain alert and managed to raise the trident and fire just in time to smoke the Vampire as it lurched at Janeesa. The Vampire fell to the deck and continued to twist, contort, and shake as it fried. Confident in the knowledge that the Vampire would not be making another attack upon the fair mermaiden who set his very soul aflame, Urian found he could not resist allowing Janeesa's kiss to take over his mind.

* * *

She was pressed against the wall as far as she could go, her hazel eyes so big that they seemed almost ready to pop willingly from her frightened face and riveted upon her beloved. Her heart hammered in her chest even as his fists hammered the Vampires. Voices swirled around her, but she ignored them all in favor of keeping her concentration solely upon her love as he fought courageously for his life, her life, and all the lives around them.

Angel's attention was currently distracted from his beloved as he fought to keep the Vampires off of the fallen. Another Vampire clad in black who he recognized as Chris Larabee was a swirl of leather, fangs, and blood next to him, and Angel knew from the way the other Vampire fought that the fallen one immediately behind him could only be his beloved. He felt for Larabee and was thankful that Cordelia was staying to the back.

Angel swung again, knocking another on-rushing Vampire back into another. The second fell into a third, and the third into a fourth. As the Vampires experienced the domino effect, Angel swiftly took the opportunity to fetch the fallen. He grabbed Trina first and had to kick another Vampire away from one of her many open wounds. The blonde woman groaned something about how she refused to go down for she could not let her family down, but he simply ignored her words, knowing that, in her mind, she continued to fight and had no idea that she had been unable to get up after the last time she'd been knocked down into a pool of her own blood.

He pulled Trina along in one arm, but when he reached for the fallen Werewolf, Larabee turned on him with a savage snarl. Angel looked up calmly and did not blink as Larabee's fist stopped only an inch away from his face. Chris pulled back, blinked, shook himself, and then gave the other Vampire a quick nod of understanding and appreciation.

Angel sighed inwardly, glad he would not have to fight the other Vampire. That would be one battle he'd certainly not want, and for just a second, the thought of having to stand his ground against a Vampire as powerful as himself who he had no intention of wanting to fight caused memories of past fights with Spike to flash through his mind. He shook those thoughts off before they could take him to wondering what had happened to his childe when he'd gone out into the crazed, blood-soaked streets and fearing for his afterlife.

The one moment of Angel's and Chris' distraction, however, had granted three of the Vampires the opportunity they needed. They flipped and flew over their heads and landed, with hungry, angry snarls, facing the terrified line-up behind the Vampires.

"KID!" Buck yelled, quickly recovering from his shock and jumping to place himself between JD and the Vampires. JD's attention snapped away from where he had just seen Josiah be attacked to the Vampires that had broken through the barrier. He immediately started struggling to slip pass Buck's barrier.

Cordelia had screamed when the Vampires had landed in front of her and the others, but she was not the only one to break through the ruckus noise of the battle with a definitely feminine scream. Hansel and Derek also screamed, but as Derek instinctively leaped into Hansel's arms for protection, Chong ran forward.

Piper and Prue had not screamed but had instead jumped to their feet together and put themselves between Will and the Vampires. Their hands were at the ready, but Chong's swift legs carried him into the way too quickly for them to be able to inflict their powers upon the Vampires.

Chong leaped into the air, his hands going up into striking positions above his head and his front leg kicking out. The middle Vampire leaped to meet him. Her claws slashed across his throat, and her kick sent him spiraling backwards. He hit the wall beside Cordelia and crumbled into a heap on the deck.

Even as Chong had been thrown backwards, however, others attacked. Piper exploded one Vampire, its pieces shattering around a furious Angel. He snatched the heart from the air and tore it to shreds in his bare hands. Prue telekinetically threw the second Vampire back while JD shot the Vampiress. Chris leapt into the air and came down with the Vampire Prue had thrown away from them. His fangs ripped out the other Vampire's throat.

"XENA!" The startled cry came from the Princess. The others immediately followed Cordelia's gaze and pointing finger to the spot where Xena had just been driven to her knees in a circle of Vampires, the leader of which held her chakram high and proud and laughed hysterically as he raved about finally destroying the mighty Warrior Princess.

As Angel and Chris flew to Xena's defense, leaving Cole to continue to protect the others -- he had continued fending off the other Vampires while the others had dealt with those who had gone over the Vampires' heads --, a new voice spoke up quietly. "Hear 'im now," the murmured, dazed voice spoke incoherently. "He'd be havin' a fit wit' all o' 'em. Don' know where they all came from. They're everywhere. There goes a rabbit, an' here comes one. Left, right. Right, left."

Prue and Piper turned as one to look down at Will in shock. The eyes of Cordelia, Hansel, Derek, Buck, and JD all also followed their turn to Will Turner, who sat on the deck, his head turning swiftly from left to right and right to left in accordance to the directions he spoke. Their eyes were already wide with growing shock. They began to whisper amongst themselves as they turned to look in the direction Will was staring. Their mouths fell open in shock.

Where before Vampires had covered the ship, they still stood, but they were no longer unchallenged. Now there seemed to be at least one animal facing down every Vampire. They seemed to be everywhere at once, covering every inch of the ship and spilling out of each cranny.

A rampaging, snorting bull chased a screaming Spanish Vampiress. Elephants and hippos raised their feet again and again, bringing them down each time upon another foot or leg of a Vampire. Cheetahs streaked through the ship, delivering as much damage as swiftly as they could. A lion's roar blew back several Vampires at once, including one who fell down on to a waiting porcupine and another who was rammed in the rear end by a mighty pair of horns belonging to a ram. A goat got yet another one.

Birds flew through the ship, calling out at the top of their lungs and carrying all sorts of smaller animals. Angrily chattering squirrels, scratching cats, howling monkeys, biting chipmunks, crowing roosters, and prickly porcupines were only a very few of the animals they dropped upon the Vampires. They also delivered skunks, who fell with their rear ends facing the Vampires, their striped tails raised, and horrid stenches assailing the Vampires full in their faces.

It was the rabbits Will was talking about, however, the small group soon realized for no other animal that was being dropped seemed to be in as much abundance as the rabbits. Bunnies were everywhere, and they were not only being dropped. They were being thrown by the bigger animals. A bear grabbed another rabbit and threw it into a Vampire's face. A deer used its antlers to toss two rabbits simultaneously; they hit another Vampire and knocked his feet out from underneath him. A horse reared up on her hind legs and tossed another rabbit. It flew into the face of a Werewolf, who promptly caught it and slung it again.

One of the rabbits sped pass the group, hollering at the top of his lungs. "PUT ME DOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!!!!!!!!!!!"

Piper glanced sideways at Prue. "That kind of sounded like . . . Jareth . . . " She shook her head. Surely it couldn't have been?!

* * *

As Jareth hit the deck, he scrambled wildly, running for the group of people he could see. He prayed they'd not catch him and throw him again! He had been thrown continuously, like a bouncing ball, and had landed on many a Vampire long enough to cause a distraction for a bigger animal to tear the Vamp apart!

How could his magick had failed him so utterly, he wondered, and why couldn't he remember the words to change back!?! Why had he screwed up so badly as to turn himself into a rabbit when he'd been trying to get a dragon? It had been his screw up that had cost him Delvira! She was his heart, his soul, his reasoning, and without her, he was nothing, and yet the last look she had given him was as though she hated him! He had to get changed, and he had to find her or he knew he'd die within this miserable hold of Hell!

As he scrambled wildly for any human, he felt himself snatched yet again from behind. "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!!!!!"

His frightened words squealed loudly on Prue's ears. "Piper, it is Jareth, and Brendan's got him!" No sooner had she said those words than Brendan pulled back his furry arm and let the rabbit fly. This time, Jareth bounced into a series of snarling faces.

Prue kept looking at her sister, hoping she had some way to save Jareth, even as she made a mad grab at Brendan only to miss him yet again.

* * *

Jack continued shooting Vin's gun, enjoying the sight of yet another bullet hole in another Vamp's head and the look of surprise that came over the Vampire's face as the bullet caused their bodies to explode around the bullet. He heard Will's words about the rabbits and wondered where they had all come from. From where he was standing, he could not see which animals were throwing rabbits, but there was a constant barrage of rabbits going through the air. He had to duck several times to keep from getting hit by one. He hoped the rabbits were not getting hurt badly but yet were able to inflict much damage upon their enemy.

* * *

The floor had erupted into yet another battle, this time seeming to be mostly animals fighting the Vampires, when Hank finally began to near the floor. The Vampires were continuing to rush him, angry that he had managed to escape their number and knock out so many of their comrades, and so he wrapped his legs around one, dropped upside down from the fussing Vampire, and swung the Himalayan cat who proclaimed himself to be royalty and the two tiny, white tiger cubs toward the waiting arms of an orange catman whose name his recollection believed to be Tom Ballard. "I believe," he called to him as he did so, "that these fuzzy, feline rescuees belong to your family unit?"

Tom heard the Beast's words but did not even try to follow them for his mind was already a buzz at watching all the action out on the floor. Animals were throwing other animals, flying through the air, and battling the Vampires at what seemed like the speed of light to his weary eyes. As Meesy's meowing face came into his vision, however, he instantly brightened and leaped forward. He gathered the small felines into his arms and held them protectively close to his chest as Beast swung back to a sitting position on the Vampire he had just dangled from.

Hank's fists shot out, colliding with the faces of two more snarling Vampires. He jumped to a standing position on the back of the Vampire he had been riding and another's back. In a blur of blue fur, he quickly did away with several more Vampires even as Tom remained watching the action out on the rest of the deck. As a break in the Vampires finally came, Hank stomped his feet into the heads of the two Vampires he had been riding on and flipped onto the floor. As he landed, crouched on all fours, a porcupine flew just over his head, the small animal's needles giving him an impromptu haircut.

Tom dodged the porcupine just in time. The small animal hit the wall, slid to the deck, pushed back up to his feet, and gave himself a shake all over. His eyes wondered over to where a flock of birds of varied species and even more widely varied colors was just depositing Ace beside Kat's unconscious body. "Buddy . . . " the tiny porcupine breathed out as he hobbled back into the foray.

* * *

James could not believe all the flying rabbits and animals fighting. He was thankful for their divergences. He was even more thankful when he saw the big, furry beast man place the tiny bundles that was part of his family into Tom's waiting arms.

Connor had been about to race forward and place Sebastian to where he could reach the cubs when, out of nowhere, two monkeys swung down upon him and snatched Sebastian so quickly that Connor could not keep his hold on the crab. Every one's ears were then immediately assaulted with Sebastian's screams as he went sailing into the foray, pinchers snapping wildly. "MON, YOU GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MON FAMILY!" came drifting back to Connor. Connor Vamped and joined the melee on the floor.

James looked at Smee and smiled before kissing him quickly. "Gotta go after our boi and help him. Please stay here and keep the rest of our family safe, love, and most of all, keep you safe!" He leaped forward to join Connor, his hook swinging wildly and his eyes looking even wilder.

* * *

Josiah had thought that he would have overtaken James by now. In fact, he had almost reached the small group when he saw James and Connor dart forward into the foray. He had planned to join them as soon as he got Ezra with the rest of the little group there but, all of a sudden, something hit him in the back of the head, throwing him forward. He found himself face forward on the floor with Ezra laying on top, unconscious, and managed to turn his head just in time to see a bunny hopping off.

He felt the floor shake and wondered what was attacking from beneath.

* * *

Outside, in the deep, murky waters, all kinds of fish had come forward when they had heard the cry of their friend. Herbert and Molly had been hitting the ship and rocking it, trying to throw the Vampires off balance and never once thinking that the rocking ship would also disturb the balance of those they were trying to help. They couldn't get inside, but they did everything they could from the outside.

Robbie, desperate to reach Janeesa and Tessa, kept jumping upward, bleeting and crying out for help. He wondered why they didn't simply just call Daddy again. Maybe Daddy had been just mad enough to be called the first time, He would snatch them back home to safety if He had to come back? But that didn't mean Robbie couldn't call Daddy's pet!

He continued to send distress calls out to all members of the ocean, who sped just as quickly to the vessel as they could. Even the tiniest fish were trying to eat away at the ship and reach the humans for safety.

Deep in its slumber, a monstrous mouth opened, taking in quite a bit of water and smaller fish. It had just been awakened from hibernation, and it was desperately hungry. As it drew closer to the ship, it recognized the voice of Robbie. It soon recognized something else: the smell of blood and food. As it reached the vessel, it began to clamber aboard, its gigantic tentacles wrapping around the ship in a death grip and its huge eyes searching for prey.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Tortuga**

He was lost in a world where only the two of them existed, lost and drifting in a sea of liquid silver where molten lava washed through his core, drowning him in pleasure while simultaneously soaring him to heights he'd never dared to dream that he might attain after losing his true self. He was caught in a whirlwind of pleasure beyond his wildest imaginings, lost in a whirlwind that was purely Janeesa. She filled his every sense. His fingers thrilled at the textures of liquid fire and finest ivory they caressed while her every touch set his soul ever more aflame until he thought he might burst from the sheer extremity of the pleasures she invoked in him.

His sword strained against the tight leather of his trousers in its own eagerness to fall even deeper into her fire until it consumed him wholly. She was consuming him. She was consuming him in goodness; in pleasure; in the erotic fire that danced ever wilder and loomed ever closer; in the tide that he should stop but could not; in the scent of the Sea who had become a mother to him when he could no longer stand to stay on the Earth who had thrown away Her child; in hope; in a dream come true; in wholeness; in everything good . . . The thoughts fluttered through his mind, warning of danger and of the destruction of all that sweet, beautiful Janeesa was to him but also impossible to catch on to.

He wanted to be consumed. He wanted to be enraptured entirely by Janeesa until there was nothing left of the man he had become, and all that remained was the melted puddle he was being transformed into and the fiery-haired, luscious more Goddess than woman who had taken him there. He wanted to be whole with her. He wanted her to rule him, to make him hers, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. He wanted to belong to her and her alone forever and beyond.

Urian was as unaware of the whimpering that sounded in the back of his throat as he was of the rabbits, porcupines, squirrels, cats, and small birds that flew and bounced around their heads; the buck that galloped pass them with a Vampire caught in his massive antlers; the bear that charged pass, chasing a Vampiress in the opposite direction; and of the cold, green arm that slid up and over his boot and began to wrap itself around his pants leg, leaving an oozing trail of slime in its wake. He was unaware of everything else, and all that remained in his world was Janeesa and himself.

His hands gripped her greedily closer, tightening the circle their bodies had already fallen into until their clothes no longer seemed to matter for he could feel her through the slim fabric of the dress she wore. His tongue plunged ever deeper into her mouth, seeking her waters like a man in the process of being saved from drowning. Indeed, she was saving him from drowning. She was saving him from drowning in the madness his world had become, and all he wanted any more was to be one with her. Alas, that was not soon to be.

* * *

The ship was writhing in what Joxer was afraid was its dying throws. It pitched and bucked as though it was a live buck, causing visions of drowning to appear in Joxer's brain. He didn't know which would be the easiest: to die by Vamp or to drown as he was not a very good swimmer. Where were they? Why couldn't they find peace and quiet, safety?

Not too far from where Joxer was having trouble standing, Toly was looking around for something to hold on to, as well, as he felt the ship lurch under his footing and he stumbled. He was hoping for a rescue, but none seemed to be coming. Gabrielle had been fighting with her bare hands just as he had been doing. He was at the point of total exhaustion and prayed for a miracle. He saw Joxer stumble, but then the ship made a groaning sound and Joxer was thrust forward, narrowly missing knocking Gabrielle down from behind and pitching Joxer head forward straight into Autolycus' arms. He barely managed to catch him. "Thank the Gods you didn't knock Gabrielle down!" he told Joxer. Then his voice softened as he saw the fright in his eyes, and he reassured him, "Don't worry. I've got you."

Joxer's eyes grew as huge as saucers. "What is it?" he asked and then he screamed as he saw the long, green tentacle grabbing Urian and Janeesa. "_What is it!?!_" he managed to gasp out even as he threw himself into Autolycus even harder, grabbing on and holding on for dear life.

Toly thought he was getting the life squeezed out of him by Joxer. Poor man! he thought. He's totally terrified out of his mind! He had to struggle to get rid of the feeling that ran across him as he kind of liked the feeling of Joxer holding him. He didn't stop to think where it might have led. It was only a brief moment, he assured himself, and very carefully set Joxer down on the floor next to the injured woman who was unconscious.

* * *

Janeesa was lost in a world that contained only herself and Urian and the glorious heat and burning that was coursing through her body. She had completely forgotten her sister and the madness that had consumed her and made her want to kill her sister. Now all she wanted to do was to become one with Urian, but even as his caressing hands drove her to higher passions, she felt themselves lifted into the air. Had he suddenly grown wings and was flying them away, or had their passion taken them that much higher?

She clung to him desperately, wanting to become one with him, and then she began to hear the sounds in her mind. A friend was talking to her and telling her to let go. Her mind was fuzzy and cloudy. "I will not let go of him! What are you doing here, Priscilla?"

"I was summoned, and what a feast indeed! They're everywhere!"

Janeesa realized that this was Her Father's pet and that they were in immediate danger even as Jack Sparrow, seeing the beast that appeared to him to be a resurrected Krakken and that brought with it all the nightmarish remembrances of the trials he had gone through only a little over a month before, let out a scream that ripped through the vessel. They were almost in as much danger from the Vampires as they were from Priscilla. Her ferocious appetite had driven her to devour many a sailor in the past, and Janeesa's Father usually let her have free reign of the ocean.

Now Janeesa feared she would have to fight Priscilla for what was hers, and she really didn't want to saving for the fact that what she was fighting for was Urian and Urian was hers. "Priscilla, let go!" she told her again in the merlanguage. "He is mine!"

"But he was _eating_ you!" she proclaimed loudly, her hungry, angry roar drowning out all the other sounds of the battle, "and _I_ want to eat _him_! Your Father would expect it from me! After all, am I not your protector, your guardian?"

How many times in the past had Priscilla rescued her? Janeesa wondered. "Thank you, Priscilla, but you can not have him. He is mine. I have decreed it, whether Father knows it or not. He didn't seem to be too sure of the fact when I talked to him last. Eat the Vampires, if you're hungry, but leave the humans alone!"

"NNNOOOOO!!!!!!" Priscilla wailed, her voice so loud and shrill that many with superior hearing fell immediately to their knees and tremors passed not only through the ship but the island and the ocean floor. "The Vampires leave stinky taste in my mouth! They are all dried up and hard to chew! Can't I have at least one human? Pllleeeeeeeeease?"

Janeesa couldn't think of one human she wanted to get rid of. Janeesa screamed at Priscilla. "NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! GO HOME TO DADDY! SHAME ON YOU! You were supposed to help, not eat!"

"Priscilla _hungry_!" she complained even louder.

"You must not ever hurt this man!" she told Priscilla yet again. "Put us back down and take some of the Vampires. You can not have the humans for they are my friends!"

Priscilla gently set them back down. "Don't want no Vamps!" she complained in a small voice. Her huge eye kept roaming around, looking for anything that she could eat that would have resembled a human, a taste she dearly loved.

"Thank you, Priscilla," Janeesa told her. "Now please go home to Daddy and take some of these Vamps with you even if you don't eat them."

Eight tentacles reached out and snatched eight Vampires. She dragged them away screaming.

"Urian?" Janeesa questioned him. "It's okay now. She's gone." She hoped he was okay. He stood as though he'd been moonstruck. She continued to hold him close even as no response seemed forthcoming any time soon.

* * *

As the ship's bucking began to decline, Autolycus realized that whatever the creature was had taken Vampires and left, dropping Janeesa and Urian back to the decking. "I don't know what that thing was, Joxer, but thank the Gods it didn't come this way!"

Gabrielle had seen the creature and recognized the tentacles as belonging to either a large octopus or, Goddess forbid, a Krakken. She had sighed a breath of relief when it had disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. She wanted to move her small group closer to where Xena was but was unable to take the injured and Joxer, who seemed to be sobbing quietly now, over to Xena. In fact, she knew that if she had been able to, she would have just been in the way. She had to smile, watching her lover in action. She always thought that Xena was beautiful but never more beautiful than when she was in battle.

Gabrielle's smile was swiped as quickly as it had appeared, however, for as she watched, the Vampires around Xena, Angel, and Chris Larabee redoubled their efforts, spurred on by their anger that One of the Gods' pets had come out of seemingly nowhere to devour eight of their own. A sucker punch caught Xena in the groin, and then two jumped her from the sides as more piled on top of Angel and Larabee. Gabrielle cried out and began to run to her love's side only to have a Vampire kick her in the face and send her flying back. She landed hard and knew she surely must be hallucinating for as her vision settled, or she thought it did, she found herself looking up at a scraggly, gray wolf with a severed hand riding on his back. The hand jumped into the air and pointed a finger at her to stay down. Gabrielle's eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

The wolf's old bones were already tired from all the recent fighting, but he refused to rest. His family and the one he wished he could claim as his mate permanently were relying on him, and he refused to let them down. He breathed heavily as he stood just inside the vessel, giving his eyes a chance to take in all the fighting so that he might see where he was most needed. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and saliva dripped from it and pooled into a spot on the floor.

Many were already down or fighting their last, and those who were not seemed even more shaken by the arrival of himself and his friend. He knew it had to be his friend who caused three women and two men to scream what he thought to be very girly screams. He looked over at them, his eyes glowing in the dark, just as a dark-haired man shook a woman's hand off and leaped into the arms of a blonde guy who seemed equally as paled and shaking with fear. The woman whose grip he had shaken off clung even more to another dark-haired beauty who reminded the old wolf of a Witch he had known long ago, and the one next to her clearly looked enough like her to be her sister. The three women clung together as they screamed and then fainted into a heap on the floor.

The wolf was just shaking their silliness off when he heard a dangerous voice speak over the roar of battle, "Lay down your weapons. Stop fighting and surrender to us or he dies."

Every one in the vessel came to a screeching halt as all eyes turned to a thin man who was covered in bright but ragged clothing and blood and who had a set of long fingernails that looked to be sharper than knives pressed against his jugular. The wolf did not make a sound, but to any one watching, he would have appeared to have melted into the shadows as he ran straight at the Vampire. He leaped onto the Vampire and bit hard into his groin even as the hand jumped into the air, his fingers spread out and poked the offending Vampire in his eyes.

The Vampire screamed, but though he screamed, he was still able to slice the neck of the man he held. Screams rang throughout the vessel even as the rest of the rescuing party arrived and all feared it was too late. None screamed louder than Janeesa for she was hit with the pain and grief not only of her fallen friend but of her sister who had just succumbed to the Vampires and of all the animals who felt their friend fading. Her scream carried out for miles and immediately reached a pair of ancient ears that had been waiting, hoping, and dreading for her call. "_**DDDDDDAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_"

**To Be Continued . . . **


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Tortuga**

The entire ocean seemed to bubble, boil, and churn as His fury swiftly mounted higher and hotter than it had been in centuries, and He sped like a bolt of lightning straight to the place where His daughter had fallen to her knees, weeping and crying for Him. For the first time in a long time, He did not bother with The Rules but did as He pleased, vanishing the roof of the ancient vessel in a single thought. He took in the scene immediately, though He had already known what was happening.

"YOU _DARE_ TO HARM _**MY**_ CHILDREN!!!!" He thundered at them from where He towered above them, peering down seemingly from the Heavens themselves into the dark ship where so many good were either about to breathe their last, were otherwise unconscious or frozen, or who wept for one had done so much for His beloved subjects but was now breathing his last. Any thoughts He might have had about adhering to His Brother's Rules went completely out of His mind as He took in the sight of those few humans He cared so much about.

The Vampires' pleas fell on deaf ears as a typhoon swept into the opened ark. It sped quickly over the area, engulfing each evil Vampire but leaving all the good beings untouched. Once she had sucked up all the evil in the ark, the typhoon lifted from the vessel and sped on toward the island, intent on wiping out all the wicked Vampires.

The few conscious Pirates looked on in stunned amazement, but as He reached a hand down into the vessel, most of them quickly scurried away. Derek had not yet fainted, but when he saw the fingers of the One who had nearly laid him upon His buffet table as the main course for His most recent holiday dinner reaching toward him, he fell out in Hansel's arms. Hansel's fear was clearly written on his face, yet the blonde tightened his hold on his love, squared his shoulders and feet, and prepared to meet the worst head on. He would never, ever let the monster Janeesa called Her Father and the God of the Sea eat his man!

Poseidon did not reach for Derek but bypassed him and those around him completely and continued reaching His hand into the vessel until He was able to touch the hero and heroine of the Animal Kingdom, Ace Ventura and Kat O'Hara. No two humans had ever done more for His people, and no two beings had ever belonged together more than these two. He cupped His hand around them gently, sending warm, healing energy into them, before drawing back. He touched upon Xena and her lover, Gabrielle, before briefly touching Rachel Summers who, for some crazed reason, his daughter, Tessa, refused to leave alone.

Finally, Poseidon cupped a mighty hand around Janeesa, Urianotalon, and Tessa and lifted all three from the vessel. He sent immediate healing energy into them before using his pinky finger to roll two injured human bodies off of a certain black cat. He lifted him gently and healed him, as well, while blatantly ignoring all the calls from the Pirates and the rest of their kind.

Urian blinked slowly as he came to and then, upon realizing whose hand he was being held in, quickly dropped the trident and fell to his knees in the God's palm. He kept one eye on the nearly-omnipotent God while his other moved to check on Janeesa. His heart stirred deeply, and he ached to reach out to her and somehow find a way to stop her tears. He stayed where he was, however, for he did not want to risk angering her Father any more lest He decide to risk her away from them all for good. He knew she would be better off without him but feared for how lonely her life would undoubtedly become if she was to lose all the good friends she had made amongst the Pirates.

"I warned you of the consequences if you fell into trouble again, My daughter," his deep voice that rumbled like thunder began.

"But, Daddy, it wasn't my fault!" Janeesa sobbed, tears rolling down her face. "We weren't trying to get into trouble! We were attacked! We were attacked right here on Your ark, Daddy!" Her words brought new whispers from the assorted Pirates and more confusion from the animals, but Poseidon ignored them all and those who would have answered them, if they had dared, could not hear them.

"They dared attack you when you were clearly under _My_ protection?"

She nodded and sniffed miserably. "Yes, Sir! They attacked us, and one of 'em tried to make me kill Tessa! But Urian saved me! And, you know, if it wasn't for the others all fighting so much, they would've probably killed me and Tessa long ago! It's not their fault we keep getting into trouble, Daddy! They haven't asked for any of this!" She saw Salem beginning to stir in her Father's other hand and prodded, "You know Salem. You believe Salem. Talk to him. He'll tell you." Her bottom lip jutted slightly out from underneath her top lip, and she sniffled again.

Her Father couldn't help but to be reminded of the time when she had been barely out of the seaweed and some rough merboys had dared to break one of her favorite trinkets. He had stripped them of their trails for a week and then sent them and their families to live in another part of the sea. Now He was again being moved by His little girl.

Salem bowed his head so low that his nose touched Poseidon's palm. "It is true, Your Majesty," he spoke sorrily. "All I've ever wanted was the best I could manage for my people and for our people. You know I've always done everything I could to try to attain that, but at every corner, I've been met with new disasters and more enemies. Some of these beings may be only human, but their hearts are much more. They may be Pirates, but they are good beings at heart. They have all banded together to help those who ran under my colors before, those who risked life and limb to try to make a better world for all of us, including your godson there." He nodded his head to Urian, whose mouth dropped open in shock.

"He is . . . " Poseidon spoke a name that was neither pronounceable by the human tongue nor writable with any letters or symbols currently known to mankind. " . . . isn't he?"

"Yes," Salem replied softly, nodding, "he is, and your daughters and these good people and others of our group who have been taken from us by some of the same ones who dared to take him from you all those centuries ago rescued him when he was left for dead. If not for them, he would not be here. If not for them, I would not still be here for I was going to become some asshole's dinner when my girl and others of Jack Sparrow's people found me and rescued me. If not for them and the way we have all banded together, hardly any of us would still be here now."

He slowly lifted his green eyes to Poseidon's eyes, and Janeesa and Tessa caught the ungestured cue and also lifted their teary gazes to their Father's eyes. "I never asked for Your help before, Poseidon, but You were always quick to grant me little things that helped a great deal. You always have done everything You have been able to to provide for a better future for Your children, but I ask You now humbly and both as Your loyal follower and Your friend and not just for me but for Your subjects, for Your godson, for Your daughters, please, just this once, help us. Let the change that we want to see in this world begin with You. Just this once, bend the rules and reunite us with our people before it is too late."

"You know how You felt when You lost Janeesa's mother. A part of You was carved out, and You haven't felt whole yet. Please do not let this same fate befall so many of these good people. We are all different, yes, and we are land dwellers, but we all want the same thing: a better tomorrow for all of our, and Your, kind. Don't just take my word for it. Read my mind. Look into my heart, and not just mine, but the others' as well."

From the deck of the ark, the Warrior Princess Xena shouted up. "START WITH ME, POSEIDON," she offered. "YOU KNOW I'VE NEVER LIED TO YOU."

"AND THEN READ MINE," another voice piped up amongst the Pirates who had now all fallen to their knees in awe, shock, and fear. The speaker was none other than Tom Ballard, who looked up at the Mighty Sea God with the deepest, most pleading expression he had ever managed in his Puss in Boots form.

He did. In less than the time it takes a human being to blink, the Great Sea God looked into the hearts and minds of those gathered there -- human, animal, mer, Werewolf, Vampire, Witch, Werecat, alien, mutant, Werefox, mirror, book, and hand -- and was moved by what He saw. He felt their pain and knew their loss as though as it was His own. He felt their loyalty and, for the first time, found a glimmer of hope in the human race. The Pirates and animals held their breaths, barely daring to think at all, as they felt His awesome power washing over them, reading the deepest, darkest parts of their souls like an open book.

"Just this once," His rumbling voice announced, "I will for you, Salem, and for Ace, Kat, and Xena, and for all you four have done for My people but more so for My godson, who I _will_ be checking in upon from time to time," he spoke in mock warning with a light grin, "but most of all for My daughters." He looked at His two baby girls with all the love He had in His heart.

Everything went completely dark and still for how long none of them knew, but when the darkness moved, the sky was blue and the sun poured down in a shower of radiant hope. The Pirates and animals looked around and were, at first, startled to find themselves out of the vessel and on remarkably dry land and then, jubilant shouts began to pour from their lips as, one after another, they found each other. Clark flew into Lex's arms and showered him with kisses before their daughter quietly spoke up and they parted just enough to welcome her into their tight hug. Trina and Carlos rushed as one and threw their arms around Trent, Carlos' lips brushing his best friend's shaggy, blonde hair before he could stop himself. Piper and Prue hugged Paige so tightly that the youngest Halliwell felt as though her bones might well break at any moment, but her sisters' arms around her felt so good that she dared not utter a single word of complaint.

A squeal of delight actually escaped Faith's lips before she could stop it for Dawson was free and smiling in confusion at her. She rushed into his arms and threw herself around him with such strength and speed that they fell to the ground in a laughing heap.

Tom wept openly with relief as Katrina rushed into his arms and he flew joyous circles with her through the air, kissing her catwoman body all over. Morph and Celina embraced tightly nearby, and Meesy flew with them, mewing his pleasure to the heavens and any and all who would listen.

Crystal turned slowly around, her ice sword still clutched desperately in one hand while she refused to relinquish Elvira's scruff from her other and Blue kept his talons deeply embedded in his mother's shoulder. All three were greatly confused for a gigantic sandworm's mouth had been going down over their heads just a split second before. Elvira whimpered suddenly, broke free from her mother's grasp, and raced ahead of them. "Elvira!" Crystal called, but relief and happiness swelled so in her throat as she saw who her sweet wolf was running to that she could not speak any other words.

She did not understand what she saw, but she knew from her love's open mouth and grinning lips that he still lived. She felt Blue go so weak from shock that he almost toppled off of her shoulder, and so she took him gently into her arms and reassuringly stroked his leathery wings as she raced to Lorne. She dropped to her knees before his head that dangled from Cindy's mouth by his curly hair and smiled into his eyes. "You can tell me in a minute how to get your head fixed back on to your body, my love, but first . . . " She pressed her lips to his in a whirlwind kiss of heated passion.

Elvira ran into Wolf's arms and, like Faith had to Dawson, knocked him to the ground. Unlike Faith, who held back only for the sake of her kid's embarrassment, Elvira wasted no time in beginning to make passionate love to her man right there in broad daylight.

Delvira, meanwhile, held back from Jareth until he tugged gently at her hand and smiled hopefully and reassuringly up into her black eyes. "It is only you, my beloved wife, that I have ever loved. I only said those things so that I could get closer to Melenda." He pulled her into his arms. She allowed him to kiss her and then melted underneath his scorching kiss.

Frederic appeared with great confusion on his face and a large, striped cat beside him. As Jacob sprinted eagerly off after Dove's scent, Frederic was tackled by his family, all trying to hug him at the same time. Logan and Ororo stood suddenly together, and just as quickly as they embraced each other, they were embraced by their children.

Theodora rushed to Roxanne as soon as she spotted her but changed her direction to throw her arms around Sasha's neck instead and hug the jaguar close. Carl darted after Paige's long legs. Spike caught Kyna up into his arms and twirled her around before bringing her back down to his lips. The family from Main Isle stood together, talking in confused whispers but all agreeing that they were glad to be back with their new extended family.

Dean and Sam stood alone in the crowd of people, watching all the other happenings until they heard a voice from behind them. "Boys?" They whirled around to look at the older, mustached man who was still blinking against the sudden sunlight. "I thought that bastard killed you . . . "

"N-no . . . " Sam could barely speak for the ball of emotion that clogged his throat.

"We thought he killed you, Bobby!" Dean exclaimed.

Huge grins split all three somber men's faces, and they hugged tightly, each silently swearing never to let the other go out of his life again.

An old Vampire pulled his cape around him and snarled at the sun until he noticed that dancing was beginning to break out with a few of the couples. He turned to look at the stunning beauty who had led the rescue party to the Pirates and bowed before her. "May I have this dance?" he asked hopefully, and she did not have the heart to decline him.

The Wizards clustered together in confusion. Cinderella smiled as she watched Wolf and Elvira before things became too revealing and she whisked her eyes away with a slight pink tingeing her cheeks. Severus ached to embrace Albus and make certain he was all right but would never allow himself to show the weakness Rubeus was now clearly displaying for all to see as the Giant hugged Dumbledore so tightly one could barely see the skinny Wizard in the bulk of the mighty Giant. Aslan's eyes watched Cindy as He wished He could be a part of her celebrations.

All around him, couples and families were embracing, but Will Turner stood alone, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears as he waited and waited only to continually have no one come to him. Then, after all the others had reunited and he had almost given up hope, a gentle pressure laid across his shoulder and a tell-tale clicking noise sounded in his ear. A grin whose brilliance Jack would have sworn could have outshone the sun itself burst across the Pirate's face.

He whirled around and threw his arms tightly around Donkey's neck. He hugged him with everything he had in him as he laid his face against the gray, skinny hairs of the only father he'd ever known. "We're together again, Eddie," he whispered against his neck as the donkey trembled with excitement and bayed on about how he'd thought he'd never see his boy, Will, again. "We're all finally together again," he said as Jack's striped, tabby cat, Willow, twined in and out of Donkey's legs. "Our family's together again, Eddie!"

**The End**


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